Detailed Data
Norfolk & Suffolk Broads
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
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