11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands1 Diederik van der Molen Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management CIS workshop on national classification systems for the assessment of the ecological status of surface waters Paris, June 2007

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands2 content Typology Biological assessment General physical chemistry Hydromorpholgy Open ends –Heavily modified & artificial water bodies –Intercalibration large rivers –One-out-all-out

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands3 Typology  10 River types  9 Lake types  1 Transitional water type  3 Coastal water types Natural water bodies Heavily modified & Artificial water bodies Objective GEP derived from natural types  ~10 types for ditches and small canals  Typology only for rivers > 10 km 2 & lakes > 0.5 km 2  Including large rivers e.g. Rhine and Meuse

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands4 Biological quality elements: annex V.1.1 X X comp&ab blooms

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands5 Fytoplankton Lakes Biomass: chlorophyll-a Composition and abundance combined in blooms-criterion: speciescriterion EQ R Aphanizomenon flos-aquae 2000 fil/ml0.5 Microcystis aeruginosa cel/ml0.4 etc EQR fytoplankton = average of EQR(chlorophyll) and lowest bloom-score Coastal- and transitional waters Biomass: chlorophyll-a Composition and abundance: Phaeocystis-criterion Values related to OSPAR convention

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands6 Macrophytes Lakes Abundance: different growth-forms and depth-distribution of the lake Composition: all species have a positive score (1-4) based on their presence EQR macrophytes = average of abundance and composition metrics Rivers Similar for abundance and composition Fytobenthos: based on %negative indicator species EQR macrophytes = average of abundance, composition and fytobenthos metrics Coastal- and transitional waters Quantity and quality of sea-grass Quantity and quality of tidal-marshes

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands7 Macro-invertebrates Lakes and rivers Based on dominant positive taxa, dominant negative taxa and type-specific taxa Coastal- and transitional waters Species on the level of the water body Abundance on the level of the water body Species of specific habitats Still in progress - Intercalibration

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands8 Fish Lakes Composition based on general species Abundance based on –%Bream (eutrophication) –%Pearch&Roach (vegetation) –Limnophilic (vegetation) –‘Black’ fish (O2 dynamics) Age structure only for large, deep lakes EQR fish: weighing of sub-metrics Rivers Composition (nr species) and abundance (%numbers) based on guilds, e.g. rheophilic Transitional waters: Work in progress (Intercalibration)

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands9 Relation pressures – quality elements Eutrophi- cation Toxic compounds Hydro- logy Morphology/ habitat Connec- tivity Fytoplankton X Macrophytes/ Fytobenthos xXX Macro- invertebrates xxxX Fish xxxX

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands10 Deviations from annex V.1.1 Tidal rivers: no macro-invertebrates –no confidence on reference conditions –dominated by invading species Rivers and shallow lakes: no age structure of fish fauna –Large rivers: no data –Small rivers: metrics not good enough (FAME) –Small lakes: too much natural variation Some coastal types: no macroalgae and angiosperms –Not present, because of high dynamics pressure: polluted sediments pressure: commercial fisheries

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands11 General physico-chemical elements

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands12 Hydromorphology Assessment only relevant for “high status” and “Maximum Ecological Potential” Mainly used for diagnoses

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands13 Status ecological classification of natural water types Biology and general physico-chemistry politically approved as provisional objectives Intercalibration results autumn 2007 Regional experiences Final approval Dec 2007 (?) Also (in Latin/Dutch) available on

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands14 Heavily modified & Artificial water bodies About 95% of lakes and rivers are Heavily modified / Artificial Water level management in lakes Dams and shoreline modification in rivers Artificial canals and ditches At present local authorities derive ecological objectives for the water bodies 1.Some follow the Guidance A&HMWB, starting with reference conditions of comparable natural type 2.Most start with present situation and all relevant measures (“Prague-matic”)

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands15 Classification of A&HM water bodies 0,8 0,6 0,4 0,2 1,0 GES 0,28 0,55 0,42 0,15 GEP Values for metrics of heavily modified water bodies are mainly based on ‘best sites’ … for both biology and physical- chemistry

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands16 Large rivers Rhine, Meuse, Schelde, Eems  Heavily modified  Reference conditions?  High economic value  High ecological potential  How can Intercalibration be used to set the ambition in Europe?  Further action needed?

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands17 One-out-all-out?! 3 – 4 biological quality elements for each type/water body 5 – 6 general physical chemical quality elements –Checking procedure cf Classification guidance specific pollutants (Rhine 15, Meuse & Scheldt 7)  O-o-a-o will cause little green on the maps!  Ecological status largely not determined by biology!  Standards for specific pollutants have an ecological basis,  but no clear relation with  biological assessment of the complete ecosystem and  measures other than reduction of emissions  Exclude specific pollutants from ecological status assessment?  3 assessments: ecology, priority substances and other pollutants?

11 juni 2007 Ecological classification in the Netherlands18 Thanks for your attention! also on behalf of Paul Latour Marcel van den Berg