dataset · England
WFD River, Canal, and SWT Water Bodies Cycle 4 Classification 2025 (Simplified)
This is a polyline dataset showing Water Framework Directive (WFD) River, Canal, and Surface Water Transfer Water Bodies. River centrelines represent the official river water body definition for the WFD. This dataset provides attribution relating to the 2025 classification results, as well as other relevant information and data about each river, canal, and surface water transfer water body. See the Environment Agency's Water Hub for more information (link below). Attribution statement: © Environ
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Licence: ["There are no public access constraints to this data. Use of this data is subject to the licence identified.", "There are no public access constraints to this data. Use of this data is subject to the
Evidence quality: 55.5
Listed in data.gov.uk public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).
Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z
What's in it
- Data offered docs-verified
- river water body centrelines (polyline) · canal water bodies · surface water transfer (SWT) water bodies · 2025 WFD classification attribution · related water body information
- Coverage docs-verified
- Bounding box 49.86°N to 55.81°N, 6.42°W to 1.76°E · 2025 classification results (WFD Cycle 4)
- Update frequency docs-verified
- as needed (no fixed schedule)
- Formats docs-verified
- SHP · GeoJSON · GPKG · GDB · CSV · OGC API - Features · WMS · WFS
- Access docs-verified
- Free and open under Open Government Licence v3.0; no public access constraints
Useful for
- Use cases llm-inferred
- WFD waterbody status context for a flood risk assessment or drainage baseline on a river reach · Identifying the WFD water body and 2025 classification for a watercourse near a development site · Screening canal and surface water transfer water bodies for discharge or abstraction consent work · Overlaying WFD water body centrelines on GIS basemaps for ecology and planning reports
- Audience llm-inferred
- flood consultants · drainage engineers · hydrologists · ecologists · planners · GIS analysts
Limitations
- Constraints llm-inferred
- Title says 'Simplified', so geometry is likely generalised; check the full dataset where precision matters · Update frequency is as needed, so currency depends on publisher releases · Classification detail and methodology sit in the Water Hub and accompanying DOCX, not in the polyline attributes · Use is subject to the licence and attribution statement
Evidence
- https://environment.data.gov.uk/api/file/download?fileDataSetId=be54355e-0b50-480e-a700-aaf0282484a6&fileName=River Canal and SWT Datasets Further Information.docx
- https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/3dba3bb8-4041-4bef-a79b-f8540985c0a4/wfd-river-canal-and-swt-water-bodies-cycle-4-classification-2025-simplified
Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.