Maidenhead and Sunbury Management Catchment

About

The Lower Thames catchment covers the River Thames between Hurley and Teddington, a distance of 64.5 km. The catchment area extends over 422 km2. It includes areas of south-west London, rural areas of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey, and the suburban towns of Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough, Bracknell, Staines, Walton-on-Thames, Sunbury and Teddington. Included in the Lower Thames catchment are the river tributaries of the Thames including Bull Brook, the Cut, Chalvey Ditch, Salthill Stream, Roundmoor Ditch and Boveney Ditch.The Lower Thames is a very urbanised catchment with a large stretch of the navigable Thames. The major challenges are physical modifications and pollution from waste water and urban runoff. Changes to water bodies, including over 61 major weir structures and man made river bank protection has reduced and damaged the natural habitat. Free fish movement is also affected. Changes to a structure or restoring river banks are expensive, so it is important to prioritise work that will bring the most improvement for everyone.

Maidenhead Cut

Classifications data for Maidenhead and Sunbury Management 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 transfers30912
Lake2305
Coastal0000
Estuarine0000
Groundwater0000
Total53917

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 bodies04121017
Number of water body elements218202397160

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 bodies17017
Number of water body elements35232267

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 Maidenhead and Sunbury Management 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 management0030500
Domestic general public0000000
Industry0000010
Local & central government0040000
Mining and quarrying0000000
Navigation0020000
No sector responsible0000000
Other0000000
Recreation0040000
Sector under investigation0010000
Urban and transport00110031
Waste treatment and disposal0000000
Water Industry00200021
Total002705422

Objectives data for Maidenhead and Sunbury Management 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 201501101012
By 2027000505
Total01106017

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 206301717
Total01717

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