Wirral Operational Catchment

About

Across the Wirral Operational Catchment there are 42km of River made up of five rivers - the River Birket, including Arrowe Brook and Fender, to the north and Dibbinsdale and Rivacre Brooks to the south. These rivers are fed by a number of small tributaries and all of these rivers flow into the Mersey Estuary. Land use in the operational catchment is a mixture of agricultural and urban. This is reflected in the water quality issues experienced on the Wirral caused by urban diffuse pollution from a combination of road run-off and misconnections, rural diffuse pollution and extensive physical modifications.

Photograph showing Rivacre Brook

Classifications data for Wirral 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 transfers1023
Lake0000
Coastal0000
Estuarine0000
Groundwater0000
Total1023

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 bodies012003
Number of water body elements37221731

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 bodies303
Number of water body elements93342

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 Wirral 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 management1010700
Domestic general public0000020
Industry0000000
Local & central government0010000
Mining and quarrying0000000
Navigation0000000
No sector responsible0000000
Other0000000
Recreation0000000
Sector under investigation0030000
Urban and transport0020090
Waste treatment and disposal0000000
Water Industry0000000
Total10707110

Objectives data for Wirral 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 2015010001
By 2027000202
Total010203

2 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 2063033
Total033

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