E
cosystem
servicesdelivered
Provisioning
Regulation & maintenance
Cultural
Abiotic
C
ontribution
topolicyobjectives
Water Framework Directive
Floods Directive
Birds & Habitats Directive
2020 Biodiversity Strategy
P
otential
biophysicaleffects
Runoff
Reducing pollution
Soil conservation
Habitat
Climate Change
High
Low
Medium
None
Restoring the natural shape of a stream bed and allowing better connection to tributaries should improve the
storage capacity
of the river. Reduction and storage of surface
runoff contributes to reducing peak flows in receiving watercourses. The measure allows reconnection with the functional
floodplain
(assuming there are no artificial barriers
preventing the connection), and hence contributes to slowing down drainage, which may help to adapt for climate change-related
floods and droughts
.
Giving back its natural shape and composition to the stream bed, along with slowing down the river flow during flood events, plays a role in combating
erosion
. Reconstituting
the natural stream bed creates obstacles to pollutants and contributes to recovering its
filtration and purification
features. This may improve the status of hydromorphology
quality elements, and the chemical status. It may also contribute to preventing surface water and groundwater status deterioration, and play a role in protecting habitats.
An improved continuity between water and floodplain, the provision of spawning grounds for fish, the diversification of the stream bed, depth and flow velocity all improve
aquatic
and riparian ecosystems,
offering new habitats. It therefore enhances natural biomass production, contributing to preserving biodiversity and to managing fish stocks better.
The temporal dynamics in naturally functioning floodplains also ensure the survival of many habitats and species identified as important for biological quality. Through these
processes, it may contribute to improving the status of
biology
quality elements.
