Long-term monitoring of water quality and biodiversity in upland water bodies threatened by air pollution, climate change and land use change helps to inform policies and legislation with respect to air pollution effects and supports upland water management.
The UK Upland Waters Monitoring Network (UWMN) is designed to track changes in surface water quality and freshwater biodiversity across upland regions of the UK. It provides a unique long-term record (now over three decades in length) of the chemical, physical and biological status of upland lakes and streams across the UK.
Initially focused primarily on tracking the impact of acid rain, the range of sites and measurements have been enhanced over time in order to address issues relating to the eutrophying influence of nitrogen deposition, effects of climate change and the impacts of changing land use and land management.
The UWMN has a wide geographical coverage, currently consisting of 12 lakes and 14 streams across the UK, which are monitored chemically and biologically.
- Visit the UK Upland Waters Monitoring Network for more information on sites, methods and outputs.