ABSTRACT
The discussion of the hydrological characteristics of British rivers presented in Chapter 1 was concerned with the quantity aspects of river flow and behaviour and must be complemented by an examination of river water quality. Just as it is possible to examine characteristic values and the spatial variability of such parameters as annual runoff depth and flood and low-flow magnitude, so it is possible to analyse the dominant water quality characteristics of British rivers. An analysis of this quality dimension could indeed be viewed as particularly important in view of the growing interest of hydrologists in the quality component of the hydrological cycle (e.g. Walling 1977c), the increasing relevance of quality criteria in the optimum development of limited water resources and the current concern for environmental quality.
