Ecological and chemical state of surface waters
Most of Finland’s classified water bodies1) are in a high or good ecological state. Waters with lower ecological status than “good” include almost a third of the classified lakes, half of the classified stretches of rivers, and more than half of the total extent of coastal waters. Waters’ chemical state was generally good, with a few exceptions.
New classification system for surface waters
Finland’s surface waters were classified based on their ecological and chemical state for the first time in 2008. The new classification system was created to meet the obligations of the EU Water Framework Directive and related national legislation. The EU’s common classification criteria aim to assess the degree to which aquatic ecosystems are affected by human activities.
Legislation requires the authorities to ensure that surface waters are in at least a good state by 2015, and that the states of waters already classified as good or high do not deteriorate. Classification procedures are needed to enable evaluations that will indicate which water bodies require water protection measures to enhance their state.
The classification process will also form part of the river basin management plans that will be drawn up for each of Finland’s river basin management districts.
The states of water bodies have been classified on a preliminary basis by Finland’s regional environment centres. About half of the most important river stretches and a third of the most important lakes have been classified. In most cases it has not yet been possible to classify smaller river stretches and lakes, due to a lack of data, and because such features are so numerous in Finland. Coastal waters have almost all been classified.
Classification criteria have been selected through extensive collaboration between researchers within the environmental administration, water users, and other stakeholders. Final classifications will be completed by the end of 2009 and reported to the EU in the beginning of 2010.
Finland’s surface waters were earlier classified according to their general usability, emphasising requirements related to water supply, recreational amenity value and fisheries. Classifications made under the two different procedures are not directly comparable. Ecological status of surface waters by numbers of water bodies in each category
| Ecological status |
Rivers |
Lakes |
Coastal waters |
| High or Good |
52% |
73% |
15% |
| Moderate, Poor or Bad |
48% |
28% |
85% |
Ecological status of surface waters by numbers of water bodies in each category
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Source: Regional Environment Centres and Finnish Environment Institute
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Ecological status of surface waters by proportion of total length (rivers) or surface area
| Ecological status |
Rivers |
Lakes |
Coastal waters |
| High or Good |
52% |
87% |
36% |
| Moderate, Poor or Bad |
48% |
13% |
64% |
Ecological status of surface waters by proportion of total length (rivers) or surface area
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Source: Regional Environment Centres and Finnish Environment Institute
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1) Surface water bodies include distinct and significant sections of river systems, i.e. lakes; reservoirs; streams, rivers or canals in their entirety or parts thereof; as well as specific areas of Finland’s coastal waters.
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