Measuring Authorities

The Measuring Authority is the organisation responsible for the provision of river flow data to the National River Flow Archive.

Responsibility for the collection and processing of hydrometric data in the UK rests primarily with the Measuring Authorities who operate the river flow monitoring network. The principle Measuring Authorities in each of the component parts of the UK are: the Environment Agency (EA) in England, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland and for Northern Ireland, the Department for Infrastructure - Rivers (DfIR). Additional flow measurement is carried out by a variety of public and private bodies and research organisations (including CEH). The Environment Agency, NRW and SEPA areas are subdivided into regions (see map below).

Measuring AuthorityRegion AbbreviationRegion

DfIR  

NINorthern Ireland
EACLCumbria and Lancashire
EADCDevon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
EAEAEast Anglia
EAEMEast Midlands
EAGMMCGreater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire
EAHNLHertfordshire and North London
EAKSLKent, South London and East Sussex
EALNLincolnshire and Northamptonshire
EANENorth East
EASSDSolent and South Downs
EATThames
EAWMWest Midlands
EAWXWessex
EAYYorkshire
NRWWales NNorth Wales
NRWWales SSouth Wales
NRWWales SWSouth West Wales
SEPASEPA NNorth Scotland
SEPASEPA EEast Scotland
SEPASEPA SSouth Scotland

Measuring Agency Contact Points

Primary Measuring Agencies

For queries regarding ongoing flood or drought incidents or for reporting environmental incidents, please contact the relevant Measuring Agency as listed in the table below:

NRFA CodeCountryMeasuring Agency
EAEnglandEnvironment Agency
NRWWalesNatural Resources Wales (Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru)
SEPAScotlandScottish Environment Protection Agency
DfIRNorthern IrelandDeparment for Infrastructure - Rivers

 
Other Measuring Agencies

NRFA Code

Measuring Agency

CRT

Canal & River Trust

CEH

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

ESW

Essex & Suffolk Water plc

GSNI

Geological Survey of Northern Ireland

DOENI

Northern Ireland Environment Agency

NEW

Northumbrian Water Limited

SWA

Scottish Water

SW

Southern Water

NWW

United Utilities

YW

Yorkshire Water