Lower River Yealm Water Body
Good ecological status
Get Lower River Yealm data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB108047004010
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationnot designated artificial or heavily modified
- NGRSX5979154608
- Catchment area2852.354 ha
- Length14.273 km
- Catchment area28.524 km2
- Surveillance Water BodyNo
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | Good |
| Biological quality elements | Moderate | Good |
| Fish | Moderate | Good |
| Invertebrates | High | High |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Good | Good |
| Phytobenthos Sub Element | Good | Good |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Good | Good |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | High | High |
| Dissolved oxygen | High | High |
| Phosphate | Good | Good |
| Temperature | High | High |
| pH | High | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | Supports good |
| Specific pollutants | High | High |
| Iron | High | High |
| Chemical | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Priority hazardous substances | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Fail | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail | |
| Priority substances | Good | Does not require assessment |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | Does not require assessment |
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 | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Mercury and Its Compounds | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Riparian/in-river activities (inc bankside erosion) | Agriculture and rural land management | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Farm/site infrastructure | Agriculture and rural land management | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Suspect data | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor Livestock Management | Agriculture and rural land management | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Barriers - ecological discontinuity | Urban and transport | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Private Sewage Treatment | Urban and transport | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Trade/Industry discharge | Industry | Fish | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Incidents | Agriculture and rural land management | Fish | 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 | 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 | 0 | 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Invertebrates | Good | 2015 | |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Good | 2015 | |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Good | 2015 | |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | 2015 | |
| Phosphate | Good | 2015 | |
| Temperature | Good | 2015 | |
| pH | Good | 2015 | |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Not assessed | 2015 | |
| Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
| Iron | High | 2015 | |
| Chemical | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Priority hazardous substances | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | 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 | 2040 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | 2015 | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Priority substances | Good | 2015 | |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2015 | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Sound & Estuaries | UK0013111 | 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.