Adur Upper Operational Catchment

About

The Adur is a typical lowland river with a catchment area of about 500km2.The river begins as two separate branches, the western arm rising at Slinfold and the eastern arm at Ditchling Common both fed by springs from the Brighton Chalk Block. The branches meet at Henfield, where the river becomes tidal and embanked for some nine miles before it reaches the estuary at Shoreham-by-Sea. The upper tributaries of the river are dominated by sandstone, which changes to impermeable clay in the lower stretches, making the river very reactive to rainfall.

Image of the Adur catchment

Classifications data for Adur Upper 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 transfers190019
Lake0000
Coastal0000
Estuarine0000
Groundwater0000
Total190019

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 bodies01360019
Number of water body elements721322196177

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 bodies19019
Number of water body elements48234282

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 Adur Upper 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 management001102900
Domestic general public0000030
Industry0000000
Local & central government0020000
Mining and quarrying0000000
Navigation0000000
No sector responsible0000000
Other0000000
Recreation0000000
Sector under investigation0010000
Urban and transport0000010
Waste treatment and disposal0000000
Water Industry00000039
Total0014029439

Objectives data for Adur Upper 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 202700118019
Total00118019

18 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 206301919
Total01919

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 Adur Upper 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 status64%64%
% of water bodies with an objective of good ecological status/potential or better95%95%
% of biological elements, phys-chem elements and Specific Pollutants with an objective of good status or better99%99%

Chemical

Summary statisticRivers, Canals and SWTsLakesEstuariesCoastalSurface Waters Combined
% of water bodies at good chemical status0%0%
% of chemical elements at good status83%83%
% of water bodies at good chemical status without uPBT95%95%
% of chemical elements at good status without uPBTGreater than 99%Greater than 99%
% 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%