Lower River Otter Water Body
Poor ecological status
Get Lower River Otter data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB108045009170
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationnot designated artificial or heavily modified
- NGRST1101800428
- Catchment area8092.618 ha
- Length41.398 km
- Surveillance Water BodyYes
- Catchment area80.926 km2
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Poor | Poor |
| Biological quality elements | Poor | Poor |
| Fish | Moderate | Moderate |
| Invertebrates | Good | High |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Poor | Poor |
| Macrophytes Sub Element | Poor | Poor |
| Phytobenthos Sub Element | Moderate | Moderate |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | Moderate |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | High | High |
| Dissolved oxygen | High | High |
| Phosphate | Poor | Moderate |
| Temperature | Good | High |
| pH | High | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | Does not support good | Does not support good |
| Morphology | Supports good | Supports good |
| Specific pollutants | High | High |
| Arsenic | High | High |
| Chlorothalonil | 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 | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | |
| Hexachlorocyclohexane | Good | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Fail | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Fail | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail | |
| Quinoxyfen | Good | |
| Priority substances | Good | Does not require assessment |
| Aclonifen | Good | |
| Alachlor | Good | |
| Bifenox | Good | |
| Cybutryne | Good | |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | |
| Dichlorvos (Priority) | Good | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | |
| Terbutryn | Good | |
| Other Pollutants | Good | Does not require assessment |
| Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin & Isodrin | Good | |
| para - para DDT | Good |
Investigations into classification status
No data to show
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 | Mercury and Its Compounds | Details |
| RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Groundwater abstraction | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Groundwater abstraction | Water Industry | Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor soil management | Agriculture and rural land management | Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | 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 | 3 | 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 | 2 | 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 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Objectives
| Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Biological quality elements | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Fish | Good | 2015 | |
| Invertebrates | Good | 2015 | |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | 2015 | |
| Phosphate | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Temperature | Good | 2015 | |
| pH | Good | 2015 | |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Not assessed | 2015 | |
| Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
| Arsenic | High | 2015 | |
| Chlorothalonil | 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 | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | 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 | |
| Hexachlorocyclohexane | Good | 2015 | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Good | 2040 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| 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 |
| Quinoxyfen | Good | 2015 | |
| Priority substances | Good | 2015 | |
| Aclonifen | Good | 2015 | |
| Alachlor | Good | 2015 | |
| Bifenox | Good | 2015 | |
| Cybutryne | Good | 2015 | |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dichlorvos (Priority) | Good | 2015 | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Terbutryn | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Good | 2015 | |
| Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin & Isodrin | Good | 2015 | |
| para - para DDT | Good | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Devon | G18 | Nitrates Directive | |
| East Devon Pebblebed Heaths | UK0012602 | 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.