South West Lakes Management Catchment
About
The South West Lakes catchment has short rivers rising in the western Lakeland fells that flow quickly down to the Irish Sea. Much of the catchment lies within the Lake District National Park, with several lakes including Englands deepest, Wastwater, and one of the most remote, Ennerdale Water. The rural landscape is dominated by sheep and beef farming with some dairy farms, and managed forestry in the upper catchments. The main town are Whitehaven in the north and Barrow-in-Furness in the south. There has been significant industrial development including nuclear installations at Sellafield and Drigg, nuclear submarine construction at Barrow-in-Furness and, more recently, Europes largest off-shore wind farm; further development in the nuclear industry is highly likely. The catchment includes the principal aquifer in the Barrow-in-Furness area, which is exploited for public water supply, with further public water supplies provided by Ennerdale, Wastwater, the River Duddon and reservoirs at Poaka Beck and Harlock amongst others. There is also a healthy tourist industry both within the national park in places such as Wasdale, Eskdale and Ennerdale and beyond its boundary in coastal sites such as St Bees and Ravenglass. There are several conservation designations including Special Areas of Conservation on the River Ehen, Wastwater and at Drigg, and multiple bathing water and shellfish water sites all along the coast. There are a range of species in the catchment including the rare freshwater mussel on the River Ehen, Atlantic salmon, Sea trout and important habitats such as salt marsh and mosses.
Classifications data for South West Lakes 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 categories | Natural | Artificial | Heavily modified | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
River, canals and surface water transfers | 25 | 0 | 5 | 30 |
Lake | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
Coastal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Estuarine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Groundwater | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 29 | 3 | 6 | 38 |
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 potential | Bad | Poor | Moderate | Good | High | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of water bodies | 0 | 4 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 38 |
Number of water body elements | 1 | 4 | 26 | 61 | 271 | 363 |
Chemical status for surface waters
Table summarises the current chemical status of water bodies. These are classified as being at good or fail.
Chemical status | Fail | Good | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Number of water bodies | 38 | 0 | 38 |
Number of water body elements | 90 | 449 | 539 |
Quantitative status for groundwater
Table summarises the quantitative status of groundwater water bodies. These are classified as being at good or poor.
Quantitative status | Poor | Good | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Number of water bodies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of water body elements | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chemical status for groundwater
Table summarises the chemical status of groundwater water bodies. These are classified as being at good or poor.
Chemical status | Poor | Good | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Number of water bodies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of water body elements | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Challenges data for South West Lakes 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 issue | Changes to the natural flow and level of water | Invasive non-native species | Physical modifications | Pollution from abandoned mines | Pollution from rural areas | Pollution from towns, cities and transport | Pollution from waste water |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture and rural land management | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Domestic general public | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Industry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Local & central government | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mining and quarrying | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Navigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No sector responsible | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recreation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sector under investigation | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Urban and transport | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Waste treatment and disposal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Water Industry | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 1 |
Objectives data for South West Lakes 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.
Status | Bad | Poor | Moderate | Good | High | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
By 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
By 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
By 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 38 |
Chemical status objectives for surface water bodies
Including those with less stringent objectives and extended deadlines
Status | Fail | Good | Total |
---|---|---|---|
By 2063 | 0 | 38 | 38 |
Total | 0 | 38 | 38 |
Quantitative status objectives for groundwater
Including those with less stringent objectives and extended deadlines
Status | Poor | Good | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chemical status objectives for groundwater
Including those with less stringent objectives and extended deadlines
Status | Poor | Good | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |