Wales WFD Groundwaterbodies Classification Cycle 3

Water Framework Directive (WFD) Groundwaterbodies Cycle 3 (2021-2027) is a spatial (polygon) dataset which has been created for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Article 2, clause 2 of the WFD defines them as '…all water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil'. For the purposes of reporting under the WFD, a groundwater body represents a distinct body of groundwater flow with a coherent flow unit including recharge and discharge areas with little flow across the boundaries. These reflect hydrogeological characteristics containing information on flow and stage properties, recharge and vulnerability to pollution. This has been undertaken through defining aquifers into different types and broken into catchment units at Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) scale. The primary input dataset is '1:625K Classified Aquifer Geology'. This dataset has been digitised directly from the hard copy '1:250K Solid Geology Map' and classified according to aquifer type and are therefore directly derived from the underlying BGS data. These classifications were verified by the British Geology Survey (BGS). These data have gone out for consultation at Area level and in some instances 1:50K Solid Geology has been used to define localised boundaries. Since waterbodies are attributed with a unique identifier 'WB_ID' this dataset can be linked directly to other WFD data sources such as physical characteristics, risk, classification, and proposed objectives.