Search

River ecosystems have witnessed a long history of human pressure, particularly the disruption of freshwater fish populations. The awareness of this situation has led to many habitat improvement projects, with a variable degree of success. In natural situations, fish populations co-inhabit throughout the hydrological cycle with different degrees of adequacy, and the sequence of favourable and unfavourable conditions dictates abiotic constraints and biotic interactions that shape the final biological assemblages. We postulate that a part of unsuccessful restoration results is related to insufficient closeness to the natural habitat conditions of the river type that is to be restored, including the naturally adverse periods.

River ecosystems have witnessed a long history of human pressure, particularly the disruption of freshwater fish populations. The awareness of this situation has led to many habitat improvement projects, with a variable degree of success.

Two different approaches to define the ecological status of several catchments (NW Portugal) are compared. At a coarser scale, all the stream network was classed using GIS according to several variables related to: a) biotic indicators, such as native and exotic fish species, benthic biotic index and characteristics of the riparian corridor); b) chemical indicators of contamination, where an estimation of industrial and urban organic loads and water quality was included. This methodology is preceded by a typological classification so that a determination of the ecological status can be made separately of each of the physical units integrated in the watercourse.

El proyecto UE Interreg IVB Sudoe RICOVER es un es un ejemplo pionero en el desarrollo de modelos que minimicen el impacto ambiental mediante la promoción de un uso más eficiente de los recursos. El objetivo principal de este proyecto se basa en el desarrollo de estrategias conjuntas para la protección y restauración de los ríos, que desarrollan un papel tan importante en los ecosistemas.

Understanding the underlying mechanics of bank storage and return flow is important for quantifying the contributions of event water and groundwater in sustaining streamflow during dry periods. Analytical models have been widely used to estimate the impacts of bank storage, but are often based on assumptions of conditions that are rarely found in.

European Directive
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31992L0043:EN:HTML

Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy

The demands of the Water Framework Directive over the next few years imply considerable effort in the conservation and restoration of river reaches based upon the reliable classification of river corridor conservation status that discloses information on causes of degradation. Using an adaptation of the KT Method, originally developed as part of the National Water Plan, a Map of River Corridor Conservation Status was drawn up for the River Odelouca catchment area that included the definition of existing fluvial reaches using geographic and hydrogeomorphological variables which were then assessed according to the presence of anthropogenic pressures

The measures implemented focus on the use of bio-engineering or natural techniques for rehabilitation of riparian buffer zones and river banks

Reliable lotic ecological monitoring requires knowledge of river typology, environmental factors, the effect of stressors known here as 'pressures' and appropriate indicators of anthropogenically induced change. We sampled benthic macroinvertebrate, fish, bird and macrophyte communities along an intermittent Mediterranean river and analysed community structure (relative abundance) and function (metrics) relative to environmental and pressure gradients in order to identify suitable indicator group (s) for future monitoring.

1. The imminent damming of the Odelouca River, an intermittent Mediterranean river situated in the south-west Algarve region of Portugal with valuable stands of riparian vegetation, has called for the compulsory implementation of compensatory measures. 2. In order to assess the primary environmental and human factors that drive change in the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages of the Odelouca, and the spatial scale at which they occur, 30 sites were sampled for benthic macroinvertebrates and extensively surveyed.

Bioindicators are essential for detecting environmental degradation and for assessing the success of river restoration initiatives. River restoration projects require the identification of environmental and pressure gradients that affect the river system under study and the selection of suitable indicators to assess habitat quality before, during and after restoration. We assessed the response of benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, bird and macrophyte assemblages to environmental and pressure gradients [...]

An index of riparian quality useful for the management of streams and rivers is presented. The purpose of the index is to provide managers with a simple method to evaluate riparian habitat quality. The index is easy to calculate and can be used together with any other index of water quality to assess the ecological status of streams and rivers. It may also be a useful tool for defining ‘high ecological status’ under the EC Water Framework Directive.

A DQA define os elementos hidromorfológicos como um dos sustentáculos dos programas de monitorização e sistemas de classificação do estado/potencial ecológico das massas de água Rios e, consequentemente, dos objectivos ambientais e programas de medidas subsequentes. De acordo com o Anexo V da DQA, são considerados três atributos para estes elementos:

● Regime hidrológico;

● Continuidade do Rio;

● Condições morfológicas.

El Espacio del Sudoeste Europeo se enfrenta a diversos problemas en la gestión de los recursos hídricos, tanto en lo que se refiere a su calidad y al déficit entre la oferta y la demanda en las cuencas hidrográficas, como a los problemas relacionados con la prevención de riesgos y alteraciones climáticas. El proyecto RICOVER tiene por objetivo definir e implementar, a través de intervenciones piloto, estrategias y metodologías conjuntas de protección y conservación de los ríos del SUDOE. Para ello, se tendrán en cuenta, entre otros elementos, las características naturales y la biodiversidad, la preservación de hábitats prioritarios y del Patrimonio de la Red Natura 2000, la importancia de los ríos como corredores ecológicos y su contribución para el ciclo natural del agua y la necesidad de la riqueza fluvial y su valor económico.

A rainfall interception study was conducted in Oakland, California to determine the partitioning of rainfall and the chemical composition of precipitation, throughfall, and stemflow. Rainfall interception measurements were conducted on a gingko (Ginkgo biloba) (13.5 m tall deciduous tree), sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) (8.8 m tall deciduous), and lemon tree (Citrus limon) (2.9 m tall broadleaf evergreen). The lemon, ginkgo, and sweet gum intercepted 27.0%, 25.2% and 14.3% of gross precipitation, respectively

The Veneto Region, through the †œPlan for diffuse pollution prevention and restoration of water in the draining basins of the Venice Lagoon† financed measures of re-calibration of riverbeds aimed at the renaturation of the hydraulic web, to increase the time of permanence of water and phytodepuration processes in the draining basin.
In this framework, the Consorzio Acque Risorgive implemented a series of extended interventions on the area under its responsibility.
This case study was implemented as part of these interventions.
In particular, it aimed at re-structuring the effluents of the mid course of the Dese river (Rio S. Martino, Rio S. Ambrogio and Scolo Desolino). Such effluents are mostly draining channels, draining water from agricultural fields to the Dese river. The primary objective was the reduction of the amount of N and P reaching the Venice lagoon through phytodepuration. However, at the same time the project carried out the restoration of the draining channel web aimed at reducing flooding issues affecting the area.
The following measures were implemented:
†¢ Riparian buffer zones
†¢ Creation of wetlands
†¢ River bed enlargement
†¢ Creation and reconnection of floodplain and new buffer strips
†¢ Channel naturalization, creation of new meandering channel

Phone interview: Paolo Cornelio is the person in charge of implementing NWRMs in the Consorzio's area of intervention

Phone Interview

The life Project "Rehabilitation of heaths and mires on the Hautes-Fagnes Plateau" (Life 06 NAT/B/000091) aims at rehabilitating 1400 ha of heaths and mire in 6 Natura 2000 areas. The report gives a general overview of the realisation of the project between january 2007 and december 2012.

Le projet LIFE « Restauration des landes et des tourbières du Plateau des Hautes Fagnes » (LIFE 06 NAT/B/000091) a pour objectif la restauration d’au moins 1400 hectares de landes et de tourbières sur six sites Natura2000 (9723 ha)délimités sur le Plateau des Hautes Fagnes (Région wallonne, Belgique). Initialement prévu pour une durée de 5 ans (2007 à 2011), une demande de prolongation a été introduite et acceptée par l’Europe dans le courant de l’année 2011, conduisant le projet jusqu’au 31 décembre 2012.

The project included the widening of 3 section of the river and the reconstruction of an open check dam.

Draft note for external distribution outlining the sitcliffe Park site, key messages

Site description and details of dimensions of NWRM measures

characterization of Austria's landcover, population density, topography and the traditional flood protection
National laws and technical rules for near-natural flood protection, principles of passive flood protection, critical lessons learned