Ouse Lower Yorkshire Operational Catchment

About

The Lower Ouse operational catchment covers the low lying agricultural land to the south of York beyond Selby including the area around Drax and includes the towns of Micklefield and Sherburn in Elmet to the west. Tributaries include Stillingfleet beck, Fleet Beck, Riccall Dam, Selby Dam, Selby Canal and Holmes Dike. The River Wharfe joins the River Ouse above the village of Cawood and the River Derwent flows in at the tidal barrage at Barmby on the Marsh. Significant water management issues in this catchment include diffuse pollution from rural areas, point source pollution and the effects of physical modifications. Protected areas include Skipwith Common near North Duffield which is a designated SAC.

View of Ouse Lower operational catchment

Classifications data for Ouse Lower Yorkshire Operational Catchment

Number of water bodies

The number of water bodies in the river basin district. It shows whether these are natural, artificial (such as canals and reservoirs) or have been modified ('heavily modified') for particular uses.

Water body categoriesNaturalArtificialHeavily modifiedTotal
River, canals and surface water transfers50510
Lake0000
Coastal0000
Estuarine0000
Groundwater0000
Total50510

Ecological status for surface waters

Table summarises the current ecological status of surface water bodies. Water bodies are classified as being at high, good, moderate, poor or bad ecological status or potential.

Ecological status or potentialBadPoorModerateGoodHighTotal
Number of water bodies0280010
Number of water body elements3516154887

Chemical status for surface waters

Table summarises the current chemical status of water bodies. These are classified as being at good or fail.

Chemical statusFailGoodTotal
Number of water bodies10010
Number of water body elements27105132

Why do all water bodies have a chemical status of fail?

Quantitative status for groundwater

Table summarises the quantitative status of groundwater water bodies. These are classified as being at good or poor.

Quantitative statusPoorGoodTotal
Number of water bodies000
Number of water body elements000

Chemical status for groundwater

Table summarises the chemical status of groundwater water bodies. These are classified as being at good or poor.

Chemical statusPoorGoodTotal
Number of water bodies000
Number of water body elements000

Challenges data for Ouse Lower Yorkshire Operational Catchment

Reasons for not achieving good status by business sector

The issues preventing waters reaching good status and the sectors identified as contributing to them. The numbers in the table are individual counts of the reasons for not achieving good status with a confidence status of 'confirmed' and 'probable', where the latest classification is less than good status. There may be more than one reason in a single water body. Note, table does not include reasons for deterioration.

Significant water management issueChanges to the natural flow and level of waterInvasive non-native speciesPhysical modificationsPollution from abandoned minesPollution from rural areasPollution from towns, cities and transportPollution from waste water
Agriculture and rural land management00501700
Domestic general public0000081
Industry0000050
Local & central government0030000
Mining and quarrying0000000
Navigation0000000
No sector responsible0000000
Other0000000
Recreation0000000
Sector under investigation0020000
Urban and transport0020010
Waste treatment and disposal0000000
Water Industry00000013
Total00120171414

Objectives data for Ouse Lower Yorkshire Operational Catchment

Ecological status or potential objectives for surface water bodies

Table summarises the ecological status and ecological potential objectives set for water bodies in the river basin management plan. Each water body is only counted once in this table. Each water body objective consists of a target status and a date when it was, or is expected to be, met.

StatusBadPoorModerateGoodHighTotal
By 2015003003
By 2021002002
By 2027001405
Total0064010

5 of the "by 2027" objectives are low confidence

Chemical status objectives for surface water bodies

Including those with less stringent objectives and extended deadlines

StatusFailGoodTotal
By 206301010
Total01010

0 of the "by 2027" objectives are low confidence

Quantitative status objectives for groundwater

Including those with less stringent objectives and extended deadlines

StatusPoor
GoodTotal
Total000

0 of the "by 2027" objectives are low confidence

Chemical status objectives for groundwater

Including those with less stringent objectives and extended deadlines

StatusPoor
GoodTotal
Total000

0 of the "by 2027" objectives are low confidence

Summary Statistics data for Ouse Lower Yorkshire Operational Catchment

Ecological status and potential

Summary statisticRivers, Canals and SWTsLakesEstuariesCoastalSurface Waters Combined
% of water bodies at good or better ecological status/potential0%0%
% of biological elements, phys-chem elements and specific pollutants at good or better status70%70%
% of water bodies with an objective of good ecological status/potential or better40%40%
% of biological elements, phys-chem elements and Specific Pollutants with an objective of good status or better86%86%

Chemical

Summary statisticRivers, Canals and SWTsLakesEstuariesCoastalSurface Waters Combined
% of water bodies at good chemical status0%0%
% of chemical elements at good status80%80%
% of water bodies at good chemical status without uPBT70%70%
% of chemical elements at good status without uPBT95%95%
% of water bodies with an objective of good chemical status100%100%
% of chemical elements with an objective of good100%100%
% of water bodies with an objective of good chemical status without uPBT100%100%
% of chemical elements with an objective of good without uPBTs100%100%