Surface water is inland water (excluding groundwater), as well as transitional water, coastal water, and for the assessment of chemical status, also territorial sea.
Overview
Surface water is divided into flowing water (rivers, streams, ditches) and standing water bodies (lakes).
Estonian rivers are short, with small catchment areas and relatively low water flow, but the river network is dense. There are few rivers rich in water, with the Narva River, located on the Estonia-Russia border, being the largest in terms of water flow. Of the runoff from Estonian rivers, 23% flows into the Gulf of Finland, 43.6% into the Gulf of Riga, 33% into Lake Peipus and the Narva River, and 0.3% into Russia and Latvia.
Most of the larger rivers in mainland Estonia originate from the extensive karst area slopes of the Pandivere Uplands and flow into the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, and Lake Peipus. A characteristic feature of Estonian nature is the presence of karst phenomena (e.g., secret rivers, springs) in Northern Estonia and the islands. Due to karst, some rivers flow underground in places (e.g., Jõelähtme, Tuhala, Kuivajõgi). The Pandivere region is characterized by the difference between surface and underground watershed boundaries.
The runoff is mainly formed within the country's territory. The annual distribution of river runoff in Estonia is variable. The spring flood is mostly formed from the melting of snow and occurs on most rivers from March to April, except for the Narva and Emajõgi rivers. The summer minimum usually starts in mid-June and ends in mid-September or early October (except for the Narva and Emajõgi rivers). The peak of autumn runoff occurs in November. The winter low-flow period lasts from January to March.
Lakes, including artificial water bodies, cover approximately 5% of Estonia's territory, which means that, on average, there is one lake for every 40–50 km² of land. Lake Peipus and Lake Võrtsjärv are among the largest lakes in Europe.
Estonia has about 1,200 natural lakes larger than 1 ha, and including artificial lakes, the total number is around 2,200. The distribution of lakes is extremely uneven. There are more lakes in Southeast and Southern Estonia, where up to 30 lakes can be found per 100 km² (e.g., around Jussi-Järvi-Koitjärve in Harju County and in Karula and Otepää in Valga County). In contrast, in Western and Central Estonia, there are vast areas completely without lakes.
Estonia does not have very deep lakes. The deepest is Lake Rõuge Suurjärv, which reaches a depth of 38 meters. Lake Peipus is 18 meters deep, and Lake Võrtsjärv is 6 meters deep.
Estonian lakes and rivers
By clicking on a water body, the type of water body, name, Environmental Register code, and for lakes, the area in hectares will be displayed.
More information
- Surface water status
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- Status information of surface water bodies (in Estonian)
- Status of surface and groundwater – Interactive map application of water bodies (in Estonian)
- Hydromorphological analysis of flowing water bodies (in Estonian)
- Bathing water (in Estonian)
- Dams and fish passages
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Removed and existing dams found in water bodies are displayed on the Environmental portal map (in Estonian) under the Water section. Dams with fish passes are listed separately.
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- Water monitoring
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- Surface water monitoring (in Estonian)
- Hydrological monitoring (in Estonian)
- Real-time hydrological observation data
- Additional information can be found on the environmental monitoring page
- Floods
- Flood risk prevention and mitigation, warning systems
- Pollution loads
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- Assessment (in Estonian) of nutrient, organic matter, and heavy metal loads from rivers discharging into the Baltic Sea, unmonitored coastal areas, and point sources.
- Water management plans
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Information about water management plans can be found on the Ministry of Climate website.
- Catchment area maps
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NEW! Watersheds and sub-watersheds (in Estonian)
Map layers can be viewed and downloaded from the Environmental portal map application (in Estonian).
- Map layers
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To view map layers, you can use open-source software such as:
Map layers of water bodies and catchments established according to the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.
The map layers are presented by catchments, with collections of rivers and lakes, as well as sub-catchments used within Estonia.
Map layers can be downloaded from the Environmental portal map application.
- Nitrogen balance
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Read more about the balance of biologically available nitrogen here (in Estonian).
Surface water resources
The average surface water runoff in Estonia is estimated based on the flow rates measured in hydrometric stations, using the EstModel monitoring-based evaluation application. Flow rates are monitored in 55 hydrometric stations. The monitoring methodology is described in the hydrological monitoring subprogram of the national environmental monitoring program. Flow rates are measured in hydrometric stations at least 16 times a year. Based on the measured flow rates, a runoff curve dependent on water levels and flow rates is created, which is used to calculate the runoff of the hydrometric station. The time series of flow rates from hydrometric stations can be studied in more detail on the historical monitoring data page for inland waters. More information on hydrological monitoring can be found on the hydrological monitoring page.
Surface water resources in 2023
Estonia's water resources in 2023 were favorable and exceeded the annual long-term average. The average runoff for 2023 was 436 m³/s, which is 7% higher than Estonia's long-term average runoff of 407 m³/s (based on data from 1922–2022). This increase in runoff is also reflected in the total annual volume – the runoff volume for 2023 was 13,733 million cubic meters, surpassing the normative value of 12,827 million cubic meters. Estonia's surface water resources are assessed based on the average annual runoff volume, which provides a good overview of the country's water resources. The 2023 statistics show that despite significant seasonal variability, Estonia's water resources in 2023 were favorable and exceeded the norm, which may indicate water-rich periods or changes in the water cycle. The annual analysis of surface water resources is important for the country's water use and water protection planning, providing input for both the economy and environmental policy.
The status of surface water bodies
Estonia is divided into three river basins for better management: the Western Estonia Basin, the Eastern Estonia Basin, and the Koiva Basin. The basins also cover marine areas. Surface water bodies are classified into flowing waters (rivers, streams, ditches, canals), standing waters (lakes, ponds), and coastal waters. To assess the status of surface water bodies more effectively, they are divided into sections or distinct water bodies, each monitored separately. Each surface water body has a uniform natural type, habitat, and human impact.
Estonia has 744 surface water bodies, of which 635 are flowing water bodies, 93 are standing water bodies, and 16 are coastal water bodies. Their status is assessed annually by the Environmental Agency.
The status of surface water bodies is evaluated according to the description blocks and quality elements outlined in the Water Act and the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. The overall status consists of two parts: ecological status (ÖSE) and chemical status (KESE).
Depending on the extent of human impact, the ecological status of surface water bodies is assessed on a 5-level scale: very good, where human-induced changes are absent or minimal, to very poor, where biological indicators deviate strongly from reference conditions or the fauna is absent.
The chemical status of a water body is assessed on a 2-level scale: good – the concentration of priority pollutants is lower than the ecological quality standard threshold, poor – the concentration of priority pollutants exceeds the quality standard threshold.
The overall status of a water body is determined based on its ecological and chemical status, considering the worse result.
As of 2023, 52% of surface water bodies are in good overall condition (60% of flowing water bodies, 10% of standing water bodies, and 0% of coastal water bodies). The main causes of poor or very poor status are eutrophication (enrichment with nutrients), dams, and the presence of hazardous substances such as mercury and cadmium in fish.