River Water Body Catchments With 2022 Water Framework Directive Classification

Polygon data delineates Water Framework Directive River Water Body Catchments and associated coastal catchments for areas draining directly to coastal waters. The dataset provides attribution for the 2022 classification cycle results and other relevant information for each water body. It was created by the UK Environment Agency using hydrological models based on EA LiDAR data and the Detailed River Network.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial relationship between land catchments and their associated river water bodies using polygon geometry and 'water_body_id'.
• Identify coastal catchments draining directly to coastal waters by filtering records where the 'water_body_type' field is set to 'Coastal Catchment'.
• Assess water body status and classification results for the 2022 reporting cycle using the provided attribution fields.
• Model surface runoff pathways to specific points in a watercourse, such as river confluences, based on the catchment polygon definitions.

Strengths

• Includes coastal catchments for areas draining directly to coastal waters, covering small streams and beaches.
• Provides specific attribution for the 2022 Water Framework Directive Cycle 3 classification results.
• Created using authoritative sources including EA LiDAR data and the Detailed River Network.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column details, and sample size are unknown.
• The shapefile format has acknowledged limitations, as noted in the description.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the United Kingdom, specifically areas modeled by the Environment Agency.

Provenance

Source

Environment Agency (United Kingdom).

Collection Method

Created using hydrological models based on Environment Agency LiDAR data informed with the Detailed River Network.

Time Range

Classification data is for the 2022 reporting cycle under the Water Framework Directive.

Freshness

Data applies to the WFD Cycle 3 classification for 2022; metadata was last updated in April 2026.

Geography

United Kingdom, covering river water body catchments and coastal catchments in England and Wales.