CuRVe Connectivity River Modifications

This dataset provides a measure of resilience associated with river connectivity by assessing the extent of physical modifications and hard engineering affecting river systems within each reporting square. The resilience values are derived from information on modified water bodies and known artificial barriers that may reduce the ability of rivers to function as ecological corridors. The dataset combines evidence from Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessments and a national dataset of hydropower opportunities to produce a relative resilience score ranging from 0 to 100, where lower scores indicate a greater potential impact on river connectivity.

Identifier: NRW_DS124784

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: The dataset was produced using two primary data sources: Water Framework Directive (WFD) waterbody assessments and the DEFRA hydropower opportunities dataset.

River waterbody catchments identified within the WFD Reasons for Not Achieving Good Status (RNAG) dataset as having confirmed or probable physical modifications were classified as affected by hard engineering and assigned a low resilience value. Catchments identified as Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs) were also included in this category. This created an initial binary assessment, assigning a resilience value of 0 to modified catchments and 100 to catchments with no recorded physical modification.

As this approach was considered insufficiently representative of local conditions, particularly where downstream barriers influenced the status of upstream catchments, a second analysis was undertaken using the DEFRA hydropower opportunities dataset. Known locations of artificial barriers, such as weirs, were extracted and assessed according to their ecological sensitivity classification. Barriers classified as having high ecological sensitivity were assigned a score of 3, moderate sensitivity a score of 2, and low sensitivity a score of 1. Scores for all barriers within each reporting square were summed to generate a cumulative risk score.

The resulting risk scores were inverted and normalised to a relative scale of 0 to 100 to generate resilience values, with higher values representing lower levels of connectivity pressure from artificial barriers. The resilience values derived from the WFD physical modification assessment and the DEFRA barrier analysis were then averaged to produce the final river connectivity resilience score for each reporting square.

Full details of the methodology are provided in the associated project documentation and technical report.

Additional Information: Naumann, E.-K., Medcalf, K., 2020. Current relative value (CuRVe) map atlas for ecosystem resilience in Wales. NRW Natural Resources Wales report series, Report No: 415, 88pp, Publisher, Place of publication.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2020-04-27

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 2020-03-01

End date: 2020-04-27

Topic category

Environment

Owner

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Originator

Environment Systems Ltd -

8G Vefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3AH, Wales

http://www.envsys.co.uk/

Extent

Geographic Extent: Wales (WLS)

Format Type and Description

Geographic Information System ( )

Specification

Arcmap feature class

Data quality

Quality Scope: Dataset

Conformity: Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation: This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree: false

Lineage: The dataset was produced using two primary data sources: Water Framework Directive (WFD) waterbody assessments and the DEFRA hydropower opportunities dataset.

River waterbody catchments identified within the WFD Reasons for Not Achieving Good Status (RNAG) dataset as having confirmed or probable physical modifications were classified as affected by hard engineering and assigned a low resilience value. Catchments identified as Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs) were also included in this category. This created an initial binary assessment, assigning a resilience value of 0 to modified catchments and 100 to catchments with no recorded physical modification.

As this approach was considered insufficiently representative of local conditions, particularly where downstream barriers influenced the status of upstream catchments, a second analysis was undertaken using the DEFRA hydropower opportunities dataset. Known locations of artificial barriers, such as weirs, were extracted and assessed according to their ecological sensitivity classification. Barriers classified as having high ecological sensitivity were assigned a score of 3, moderate sensitivity a score of 2, and low sensitivity a score of 1. Scores for all barriers within each reporting square were summed to generate a cumulative risk score.

The resulting risk scores were inverted and normalised to a relative scale of 0 to 100 to generate resilience values, with higher values representing lower levels of connectivity pressure from artificial barriers. The resilience values derived from the WFD physical modification assessment and the DEFRA barrier analysis were then averaged to produce the final river connectivity resilience score for each reporting square.

Full details of the methodology are provided in the associated project documentation and technical report.

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Land cover

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

ecological connectivity

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2026-08-27

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

IPSV Subjects List

Biodiversity

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2020-11-18

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.subjects

Code: British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

NRW Related Title: Current Relative Value (CuRVe) Map Atlas for Ecosystem Resilience in Wales

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type: Other restrictions

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations: no limitations

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints: There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.

Use Constraints

Use constraints type: Other restrictions

Other constraints: © CNC/NRW Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and NRW's copyright. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.

Attribution Statement

Other constraints: Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right. Contains data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council.

Licence

Other constraints: Open Government Licence

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313234373834 XML

Metadata Language: English

Parent Identifier: Current Relative Value of ecosystem resilience (CuRVe)
NRW_DS124799

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2026-10-08T14:34:12.585Z

Metadata Standard Name: NRW

Metadata Standard Version: 1.0

pointOfContact

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Publishing Body

Access the portal

Full access to the portal and metadata.

CuRVe Connectivity River Modifications

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Spatial Reference System

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Access Constraints Directive

Access Constraints Text

Use Constraints

Attribution Statement

Licence

Metadata

Metadata

Publishing Body