Senatsverwaltung für Gesundheit, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz Project meeting ENWAMA in Belfast, 10. March 2010 Christian Wolter, Tanja Pottgiesser, Jochem Kail, Martin Halle, Ute Mischke, Klaus van de Weyer, Matthias Rehfeld-Klein, Antje Köhler PEWA: Good Ecological Potential of Waterways in the Elbe river basin

about 2360 km waterways (except Elbe) rivers and lakes about 1500 km of waterways discussed in the project 70 % of these preliminary defined as "heavily modified water body" or "artificial water body" Introduction

Main pressure: Hydro-morphological degradation Waterways in the Elbe river basin

Waterways in Berlin Objectives Environmental sound / natural hydraulics Natural morpho-dynamics Connectivity Habitat quality of bed and banks Habitat quality of riparian zone and floodplain Natural flood protection Human activities / claims Navigation (freight  VDE 17, tourists) Flood protection Industry Receiving water Settlement in river flood plains …

Objectives Objectives of the project derivation of good ecological potential for federal- und landwaterways of the Elbe river basin - development of a new method - application on two examples guide for planning ecological measures - assortment of effective and useful measures, which can be combined with the actual use (navigation, flood protection …) - develope short but expressive descriptions of the measure characteristics

Employer Employee Biologists Associated administration Senat administration of health, environment and consumer protection Umweltbüro Essen BiologistsAssociated administration The german federal instititute of hydrology Leibniz-institute of freshwater ecology and inland fisheries lanaplan - Macrophyte Services and Scientific Underwater Photography Administration of waterway new construction The german federal instititute of hydrology Water and navigation administration Federal waterways engineering and research institute The Federal Environment Agency Environment Agency Brandenburg Agency of flood protection and water resources management Sachsen-Anhalt

Defining good ecological potential according to the „Prague approach“ (good practice paper) Step 1: Measures to reach maximum ecological potential (MEP) Excluding measures having a significant adverse effect Step 2: Measures to reach good ecological potential (GEP) Further excluding measures that, in combination, probably only deliver slight ecological improvement Step 3: Abiotic conditions (GEP) Assessing the effect on hymorhpoligic and physico-chemical conditions Step 4: Biological state (GEP) Assessing the biological state based on the abiotic conditions Step 5: Programme of Measures (not part of Prague approach) Describing GEP measures in detail Considering costs Extension of deadlines or defining less stringent objectives, if necessary Abiotic conditions biological state (MEP) Prague approach

Strategy Step 2: Mesures (GEP) Step 3: Abiotic conditions (GEP) Step 1: Mesures (MEP) Step 2: Abiotic conditions (MEP) Step 3: Biologic characteristics (MEP) Step 4: Biologic state (GEP) Step 5: Abiotic conditions(GEP) Step 6: Maesures (GEP) Step 7 respective 5: Programme of messures according to the „Prague approach“ (good practice paper) Defining good ecological potential …... according to the HMWB code of practice Step 4: Biologic state (GEP)

Grouping of water bodies Grouping of the waterways in the Elbe catchment (= „HMWB classification“) Measures Abiotic conditions Good ecological potential Major steps Major steps in defining GEP in the PEWA project

Grouping of water bodies based on natural conditions and specific uses: River width Shipping lane width Impoundments (impounded, free-flowing) Land use (urban, non-urban) (terrestrial development potential) River width / shipping land width ratio (aquatic development potential) Case groups 17 groups Example: BW 1 and BW 6 Type: Large sand- and clay characterized lowland rivers

Grouping of water bodies Measures Selecting specific, effective combinations of measures Abiotic conditions Good ecological potential Major steps Major steps in defining GEP in the PEWA project

Measures Catalogue of Measures Main categories / objectives 1 Reestablishing ecological sound hydraulics 2 Promoting natural morphodynamics 3 Improving connectivity 4 Improving instream habitat quality 5 Improving offstream habitat quality 6 Promoting natural flood protection

Measures Maesure characteristics Allgemeine Beschreibung With judgement of realization (compatibility with human activity, maintenance effort, costs…) Human activity with relevance for environment shipping, flood protection… Deficit Description of measure Type of measure construction, sound maintenance Precondition for realization Combination possibility Relevance to group of waterbody

Measures Maesure characteristics Wirkung der Maßnahme Hydromorphological consequences Effects on physico-chemical quality elements Effects on biologische quality elements Consequences for human activities Relevance for flood protection Maintenance effort Cost efficiency

Measures Measure Effects on Phyto- Macro- Macro- Fish plankton phytes invertebrates Remove revetments Modify channel Construct bypass Leave, introduce large wood Allow bars Improve vegetation Parallel off-bank revetments Flow protected shallow littoral Allow, preserve pools Ecolog. sound water maintenance Ecolog. sound navigation …. ecological effectivness: +++ = high, ++ = middle, + = low, 0 = little / none

Measures Maesure combinations Shallow littoral 0,6,6, Off-bank revetments 1,6,5,51,6,5, Improve vegetation 1,5,6,50,5,6,42,5,5,4 1816Allow bars 1,6,6,6 1,6,6,52,6,5,52,5,6,518 Modify channel profile 0,5,6,60,5,6,51,5,5,51,4,6,51,5,6,6 Remove revetments Shallow littoral Off-bank revetments Improve vegetation Allow barsModify channel profile Remove revetments 0,3,5,60,3,5,51,3,4,51,2,5,513 Construct bypass 0,3,4,60,3,4,51,3,3,51,2,4,510 Fish migration facility Construct bypass Fish migration facility 1,3,4,6 0,2,5,6 0,0,4,6 1,3,5, Value of effects per taxa Value of effects total

Grouping of water bodies Measures Abiotic conditions Assessing the abiotic conditions after implementation of the measures (hydromorphological, trophic, saprobic conditions) Good ecological potential Major steps Major steps in defining GEP in the PEWA project

Grouping of water bodies Measures Good ecological potential Abiotic conditions Abiotic conditions of GEP Abiotic Conditions Metthods Results Selection of habitats and parameters (Morphology: substrates, flow diversity,....; water quality: trophic, saprobic state) to describe abiotic conditions Description of habitats and parameters at present state Assessing effects of measures to habitats Description of measure characteristic with reference to chosen case groups and type, effects for these Description of abiotic conditions of GEP for chosen case groups and type characteristics

Grouping of water bodies Measures Abiotic conditions Good ecological potential Describing good ecological potential for all biological quality elements (fish, invertebrates, macrophytes, phytoplankton) Major steps Major steps in defining GEP in the PEWA project

Good ecological potential Steps in describing good ecological potential

Résumé Conclusion The method developed was applied on two case groups with different aquatic potential of spatial development:  allows derivation of the good ecological potential  transferable to other waterbodies designated as HMWB or AWB Cooperation with Water and Navigation Administrations was essential for success of project  basis for following projects

Résumé Conflicts In Germany: federal states are responsible for implementation of WFD Most waterways are property of german country  Water and navigation administration (WSV) – navigation WSV prefer „Prague approach“ + PEWA (more practicable) German federal environmental agency fear misuse of this approach Hardly any evaluation of measure effects/ cumulative, synergistic effects of measure combinations Approach to solution Monitoring of best off sites in Elbe river basin (started) Follow-on project: testing method in practise - Implementation of identified measure combination on project site possible? - Evaluation of effects Cooperation with all affected

Last but not least Thank you for your attention!