Partner Living Lakes
Broads Authority and Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Partner Lake since
1999
Origin
shallow lakes created from peat digging and connected to river system
Age
Broads created 9th - 11th century
National Park
Ramsar site (since 1976)
Natura 2000 site (25 %)
Number of lakes
63
Size of the lakes
less than 1 hectare to the largest at 130 hectares
Average depth
0.5 - 3 m
Maximum depth
4 m
Sea level
slightly above or below SL
Catchment area
303 sq. km [km²]
In-flows
3
Largest in-flows
Waveney, Yare, Bure
Out-flows
2
Salinity
fresh water (conductivities: 252 - 1,000 µs/cm)
and brackish water (conductivities: 1,800 - 3,000 µs/cm) in the Upper Thurne Broads
Precipitation per year
550 - 600 mm
Mean air temperature
+ 1 °C to + 10 °C (1990s)
Frozen over
partially, occasionally totally
Location
Eglish counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, Great Britain
Area breakdown
(303 sq. km)
43 % pasturage
27 % cultivated fields
11 % woods
8 % marshes (fens)
7 % open water
4 % other
Water fowl max.
15,000
Inhabitants
6,000 households
Visitors per year
over 6 million visitors
Boats
13,000
Biggest problem
water quality and water quantity
Greatest success
removal of 300,000 cubic m [m³] phosphatus-rich mud from Barton Broad