Alconbury Brook Water Body
Moderate ecological status
Get Alconbury Brook data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB105033042820
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationheavily modified
- NGRTL1474379108
- Catchment area8259.437 ha
- Length22.548 km
- Surveillance Water BodyNo
- Catchment area82.594 km2
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate |
| Biological quality elements | Moderate |
| Fish | Good |
| Invertebrates | Moderate |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | |
| Macrophytes Sub Element | Poor |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | High |
| Dissolved oxygen | Bad |
| Phosphate | Moderate |
| Temperature | High |
| pH | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | High |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Good |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Good |
| Specific pollutants | High |
| Iron | High |
| Chemical | Fail |
| Priority hazardous substances | Fail |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Good |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail |
| Priority substances | Good |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good |
| Fluoranthene | Good |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment |
Investigations into classification status
| Classification Element | Cycle | Year | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved oxygen | 2 | 2014 | Bad | Very certain there is a problem |
| Phosphate | 2 | 2016 | Moderate | Quite certain there is a problem |
| Phosphate | 2 | 2014 | Moderate | Certain there is not a problem |
Reasons for not achieving good (RNAG) and reasons for deterioration (RFD)
All reasons (RFDs and RNAGs) attributed to the classification elements in this water body.
| Reason Type | SWMI | Activity | Category | Classification Element | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
| RNAG | Natural | Drought | No sector responsible | Invertebrates | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Low Flow (not drought) | No sector responsible | Invertebrates | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Invertebrates | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Low Flow (not drought) | No sector responsible | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Land drainage | Agriculture and rural land management | Invertebrates | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Invertebrates | Details |
| RFD | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RFD | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
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 issue | Physical modifications | Pollution from waste water | Pollution from towns, cities and transport | Changes to the natural flow and level of water | Invasive non-native species | Pollution from rural areas | Pollution from abandoned mines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and rural land management | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Industry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mining and quarrying | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Navigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Urban and transport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Water Industry | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Local & central government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domestic general public | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recreation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Waste treatment and disposal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No sector responsible | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sector under investigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Objectives
| Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Good status prevented by A/HMWB designated use: Action to get biological element to good would have significant adverse impact on use |
| Biological quality elements | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Good status prevented by A/HMWB designated use: Action to get biological element to good would have significant adverse impact on use |
| Fish | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Invertebrates | Moderate | 2015 | Good status prevented by A/HMWB designated use: Action to get biological element to good would have significant adverse impact on use |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Not assessed | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Moderate | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Phosphate | Good | 2015 | |
| Temperature | Good | 2015 | |
| pH | Good | 2015 | |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Good | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
| Iron | High | 2015 | |
| Chemical | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Priority hazardous substances | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | 2015 | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | 2015 | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Priority substances | Good | 2015 | |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2015 | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Ouse NVZ | S391 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Huntingdon River Gravels | G144 | Nitrates Directive |
Monitoring sites which have been used to classify this water body
Shows which sites were used for classification for which years within each cycle.