WFD Cycle 2 River Phytobenthos Classification for UK Water Bodies

United Kingdom river phytobenthos classification data for Water Framework Directive (WFD) Cycle 2. The dataset contains ecological status classifications (High, Good, Moderate, Poor, Bad) derived from Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) scores and Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs). It was produced by the Environment Agency using the DARLEQ2 and VISCOUS classification tools.

Use Cases

• Assessing river ecological status based on phytobenthos (diatom) classifications mentioned in the description.
• Calculating Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs) based on observed versus predicted Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) scores.
• Producing water body level classifications for regulatory reporting using the VISCOUS tool mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Classification data is produced using defined tools (DARLEQ2 and VISCOUS) for standardized assessment.
• Contains specific ecological status categories (High, Good, Moderate, Poor, Bad) for regulatory use.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset has been retired and superseded by a newer record.

Provenance

Source

Environment Agency

Collection Method

Monitoring data classified using DARLEQ2 and VISCOUS tools.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-17 15:08:34.576949; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United Kingdom