WFD Surface Water Management Catchments: Cycle 3 Polygons

Surface Water Management Catchments are polygon boundaries defined for implementing the EU Water Framework Directive. The dataset represents Cycle 3 management units, delineated by aggregating smaller water body catchments using hydrological models based on LiDAR and expert judgement. These catchments are the geographic units for which formal WFD action plans are published.

Use Cases

• Delineating reporting units for Water Framework Directive action plans based on aggregated water bodies.
• Regional water quality and ecological status assessment across integrated catchment areas.
• GIS analysis for hydrological modeling and flood risk management at a management catchment scale.
• Planning and monitoring environmental improvement measures for multiple, connected water bodies.

Strengths

• Based on hydrological models informed by high-resolution EA LiDAR data and a detailed river network.
• Created with expert judgement to ensure WFD rivers do not intersect catchment boundaries.
• Cross-platform presence (uk_data, eu_open_data) indicates established use and importance.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided in any source.
• The source descriptions note 'limitations with the shapefile format' without specifying details.
• License information is not explicitly stated, only a copyright attribution.

Provenance

Source

Environment Agency

Collection Method

Created using hydrological models based on EA LiDAR data informed with the Detailed River Network, with aggregation conducted using expert judgement.

Time Range

Cycle 3 of the Water Framework Directive.

Freshness

2026-04-07 14:36:52.124577 (from uk_data platform)

Geography

Surface water bodies in England and Wales (implied by Environment Agency jurisdiction).