Lark (Abbey Gardens to Mildenhall) Water Body
Moderate ecological status
Get Lark (Abbey Gardens to Mildenhall) data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB105033043051
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationheavily modified
- NGRTL7089374245
- Catchment area87.015 km2
- Surveillance Water BodyNo
- Length22.625 km
- Catchment area8701.457 ha
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | Moderate |
| Biological quality elements | Moderate | Good |
| Fish | Moderate | High |
| Invertebrates | Good | Good |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | ||
| Macrophytes Sub Element | Moderate | Moderate |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | Moderate |
| Acid Neutralising Capacity | High | High |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | Good |
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) | High | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Poor | Poor |
| Phosphate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Temperature | Good | Good |
| pH | High | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | Supports good |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Moderate | Moderate |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Moderate or less | Moderate or less |
| Specific pollutants | High | High |
| Copper | High | High |
| Iron | High | High |
| Manganese | High | High |
| Zinc | High | High |
| Chemical | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Priority hazardous substances | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (Priority hazardous) | 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 | |
| Nonylphenol | Good | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Fail | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail | |
| Tributyltin Compounds | Good | |
| Priority substances | Good | Does not require assessment |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | Does not require assessment |
Investigations into classification status
| Classification Element | Cycle | Year | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphate | 2 | 2014 | Moderate | Very certain there is a problem |
| Dissolved oxygen | 2 | 2016 | Poor | 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 | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Surface water abstraction | Other | Hydrological Regime | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Urban and transport | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Local and Central Government | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Groundwater abstraction | Agriculture and rural land management | Hydrological Regime | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Groundwater abstraction | Water Industry | Hydrological Regime | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Trade/Industry discharge | Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Groundwater abstraction | Mining and quarrying | Hydrological Regime | 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Industry | 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 |
| Urban and transport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Water Industry | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Local & central government | 1 | 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 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Objectives
| Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Biological quality elements | Good | 2027 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Fish | Good | 2015 | |
| Invertebrates | Good | 2015 | |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Not assessed | 2027 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Acid Neutralising Capacity | Good | 2015 | |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Phosphate | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Temperature | Good | 2015 | |
| pH | Good | 2015 | |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | 2027 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
| Copper | High | 2015 | |
| Iron | High | 2015 | |
| Manganese | High | 2015 | |
| Zinc | High | 2015 | |
| Chemical | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Priority hazardous substances | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Benzo (b) and (k) fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo (ghi) perelyene and indeno (123-cd) pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (Priority hazardous) | 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 | |
| Nonylphenol | Good | 2015 | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | 2039 | Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Tributyltin Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Priority substances | Good | 2015 | |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2015 | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely Ouse and Cut-off channel NVZ | S390 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Anglian Chalk | G71 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Breckland | UK0019865 | Special Area of Conservation | Natural England |
Monitoring sites which have been used to classify this water body
Shows which sites were used for classification for which years within each cycle.