WFD Cycle 2 Coastal and Transitional waterbodies

Article 2, clause 6 of the WFD defines Transitional waterbodies them as ‘…bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partly saline in character as a result of their proximity to coastal waters but are substantially influenced by freshwater flows’. These are also referred to as estuaries. Transitional waterbodies were defined from Mean High Water boundaries, taken directly from OS 1:50K MeridianTM 2 and Environment Agency estuarine boundaries defined for the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Article 2, clause 7 of the WFD defines coastal waterbodies as ‘…a surface water on the landward side of a line, every point of which is at a distance of one nautical mile on the seaward side from the nearest point of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, extending where appropriate up to the outer limit of transitional waters’. Coastal waters were defined by territorial waters 1 nautical mile from the Mean High Water coastline taken directly from OS 1:50K MeridianTM 2. The delineation between coastal and estuarine waters was delineated by the Environment Agency defined transitional waterbodies. Waterbodies are also split and assigned to River Basin Districts. Additional Links: DEFRA Data Services Platform- containing download links WFD Cycle 2 Coastal and Transitional waterbodies WMS WFD Cycle 2 Coastal and Transitional waterbodies WFS