1. Biological quality elements, intercalibration and ecological status
Anne Lyche Solheim,
Norwegian institute for water research (NIVA),
European Topic Centre for Inland Coastal and Marine Waters (ETC/ICM),
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

2. Outline
Important aspects of WFD-reporting for biological quality elements (BQEs), intercalibration and ecological status
Main structure and content of data reporting on BQEs and ecological status/potential of surface waters
Overview of data in river basin management plans (RBMPs) reported by countries
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

3. Important aspects of WFD reporting for BQEs intercalibration and ecological status (1)
Relevant Article in WFD: Annex V (1.4), Articles 1, 4, 8
Core of the WFD, link between pressures and mitigation measures
Good ecological status = WFD objective
Intercalibration of the good status class boundaries for each BQE is important to ensure comparable targets across EU
Classification results enable distance to target (good ecological status) to be assessed and the programme of measures to be properly planned to reach the target
HIGH
GOOD
MODERATE
POOR
BAD
Ecological status
Measures
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

4. Important aspects of WFD reporting for BQEs intercalibration and ecological status (2)
Strategic Questions for the European Commission concerning ecological status:
Are the methods to assess ecological status well correlated to existing pressures?
Do the ecological status assessments provide a sound basis for a proper selection of mitigation measures to reduce the pressures?
Is the overall assessment of ecological status comparable across the EU? And does this provide a sound basis to compare Member States' efforts in establishing the Programme of Measures?
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

5. Outline
Important aspects of WFD-reporting for biological quality elements (BQEs), intercalibration and ecological status
Main structure and content of data reporting on BQEs and ecological status/potential of surface waters
Overview of data in river basin management plans (RBMPs) reported by countries
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

6. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status: User guide for reporting
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 What is in this document 1
2. WFD REPORTING SCHEMAS – GENERAL ISSUES 3
2.1 Background 3
2.2 General issues 4
2.2.1 Reporting and resubmissions 4
2.2.2 Levels of reporting 4
2.2.3 The basis for reporting 4
2.2.4 Stylesheets 5
2.2.5 Approach to status codes 5
2.2.6 Reporting of protected areas and their status 8
2.2.7 Namespaces, Schema and Stylesheet Locations 9
2.2.8 Metadata 9
2.2.9 Additional Internet-based information 10
Required Elements 10
Conditional Elements 10
Optional Elements 10
Common Elements 11
3. THE SCHEMAS 12
4. THE COMMON SCHEMA (lists of parameters and codes for types and quality elements 13
5. SCHEMA: ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS (COMPETENT AUTHORITIES, RIVER BASIN DISTRICTS AND SUB-UNITS) 46
6. SCHEMA: SURFACE WATER BODIES (incl. Water body type and ecological status) 52
7. SCHEMA: GROUNDWATER BODIES 67
8. SCHEMA: PROTECTED AREAS 82
9. SCHEMA: SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER BODIES METHODOLOGIES 86
9.1 SURFACE WATER BODY METHODOLOGIES 86
9.2 GROUNDWATER BODIES METHODOLOGIES 115
10. SCHEMA: RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLANS AND PROGRAMMES OF MEASURES 130
11. SCHEMA: MONITORING PROGRAMMES 177
12. SCHEMA: SURFACE WATER MONITORING PROGRAMMES 194
13. SCHEMA: GROUNDWATER MONITORING PROGRAMMES 204
EUROPEAN COMMISSION – DG ENVIRONMENT
TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN RELATION TO THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATER FRAMEWORK
DIRECTIVE (2000/60/EC)
A USER GUIDE TO THE WFD REPORTING SCHEMAS
Report Ref: V October 2009
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

7. Main structure of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status: How is the data summarised in WISE?
Chapter 3: Classification methods
Section Assessment methods for ecological status
Section Translation of intercalibration results
Chapter 4: Monitoring
Section Monitoring methodologies
Section Summary of site and quality element info
Section Number of sites used for surveillance and operational monitoring of quality elements
Chapter 5: Surface water status (Results of classification)
Section Overall ecological status/potential
Section 5.2 Ecological status of natural water bodies, one sub-section for each water category
Supporting info on pressures and impacts:
Sections 2.2.4, and
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

8. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status: overview
1. Development of assessment methods:
Biological + supporting quality elements (nutrients, hydro-morph., specific pollutants)
Relationship to pressures and impacts,
Overall classification (one-out-all-out principle),
National water body types for each water category
Confidence/precision (high, medium, low, unknown)
2. Intercalibration of assessment methods: ensuring the comparability of assessment methods in terms of the good status class boundaries (H/G & G/M),
consistency check of national versus intercalibrated class boundaries for national water body types corresponding to the common types used for intercalibration and for types not corresponding to common types
3. Application of assessment methods:
Quality elements used for monitoring and classification,
Spatial variability within water bodies,
No-deterioration objective in relation to development of pressures,
Uncertainty/confidence in results
Grouping of water bodies for classification and monitoring
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

9. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (1a)
Development of assessment methods for BQEs: Relationship to pressure/impact
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

10. Overall classification method at water body level:
Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (1b)
Overall classification method at water body level:
One-out-all-out principle
BQEs with low confidence can be excluded, (e.g. fish in lakes)
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

11. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (1c)
National water body types (example UK):
Rivers: size of river basin, altitude, geology,
Lakes: surface area, depth, geology
Transitional waters: mixing, size, tides, salinity
Coastal waters: wind exposure, tides, salinity
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

12. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (2a)
2. Intercalibration of assessment methods:
Purpose: ensure the comparability of assessment methods in terms of the good status class boundaries (H/G & G/M), all countries same ambition, not acceptable with too lax boundaries compared to neighbour countries (e.g. Country B)
Requirement: national class boundaries for each BQE must be consistent with the agreed intercalibrated class boundaries
Agreed intercalibrated class boundaries for each BQE are found in the Intercalibration Official Decision and Technical Annexes for Rivers, Lakes and Coastal waters (will be updated in 2012 with more BQEs): (
Fixed HG
Fixed GM
Country A
Country B
Country C
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

13. National assessment methods for rivers used for intercalibration
Macrophytes
Phytobenthos
Macro-invertebrates
Fish
Large rivers
Cross GIG
15 countries (CB, NO GIGs)
15 countries
12 (invert)
9 (fish)
7 (macrph)
12 (phbenth)
4 (phytopl)
Alpine GIG
6 countries
Central & Baltic GIG
10 countries
[cross-GIG]
18 (round 1)
6 (new/upd.)
Med GIG
7 countries, 3 finalised
6 countries (except GR)
7 countries
Eastern Continental GIG
3 countries - RO, CZ missing
8 countries
Northern GIG
2 countries (SE, UK)
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

14. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (2b)
2. Reporting of class boundaries and compliance with Intercalibrated boundaries in WISE (e.g. SE):
Coastal waters
Rivers
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

15. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (3)
3. Application of assessment methods:
Quality elements used for monitoring and classification (WISE summary, chapter 5(example Sweden, North Baltic RBD)
Table b Comparison of number of water bodies monitored and classified
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

16. Main structure and content of data reporting of BQEs and ecological status (3)
3. Application of assessment methods:
Uncertainty/Confidence in results (WISE summary, chapter 5) (example Sweden, North Baltic RBD)
Table a Number and percentage of total numbers of water bodies
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

17. Outline
Important aspects of WFD-reporting for biological quality elements (BQEs), intercalibration and ecological status
Main structure and content of data reporting on BQEs and ecological status/potential of surface waters
Overview of data in river basin management plans (RBMPs) reported by countries
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

18. Overview of data in river basin management plans (RBMPs) reported by countries
WFD database version v3 March 2011 based on data reported in the RBMPs:
Circa: task a - 3 WFD Art 13 reporting -> Links to WFD data and information -> WFD master database v.3 -> WFD database v.3 – SQL database converted to MS Access – corrected version
13 countries available:
AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, EL, FI, FR, LT, NL, SE, SK, UK
Total number of water bodies: (69861 classified)
River water bodies: (57858 classified)
Lake water bodies: (12003 classified)
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

19. Overview of data in river basin management plans (RBMPs) reported by countries
European scale
Regional scale
Hot spots
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

20. General European picture
58% < Good 6% 9%
14%
34%
38%
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

21. General European picture
RIVERS
LAKES
Lakes better than rivers because most lakes are in the North where pressures are low
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

22. Europe: Natural vs heavily modified+artificial
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

23. Country plot of rivers and lakes
Arranged by % < Good (low to high)
Total number of classified water bodies on top of the bars
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

24. Country plot all vs HMA
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

25. Country plot: Basis for classification
50% of all freshwater water bodies are classified based on at least 1 BQE
Arranged by % at least 1 BQE (high to low)
BQE = biological quality element, QE = quality element
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

26. Country plot: Basis for classification
Similar analysis available for rivers
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

27. BQEs determining status
The analysis can also be made on RBD level (hot-spots)
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

28. Geographical regions (SoE regions)
Arranged by % < Good (low to high)
Total number of classified water bodies on top of the bars
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

29. Best vs least good countries
Vertical line marks split between RBDs from best and least good countries
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

30. Country “transects” Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

31. River “transects” Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

32. River types: Germany
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

33. Areas with dense population and intensive agriculture are worst
Hot spots in Europe: % river water bodies in poor status (V. Kodes, Cenia)
Areas with dense population and intensive agriculture are worst
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

34. Hot spot analyses: Ideas
select the worst waterbodies and try to explain the reasons why they are bad using pressure and impact information
Large point source emissions (nutrients, organics, toxic subst)
Area of intensive agriculture (nutrients, pesticides)
Mining (toxic substances, metals)
Hydromorphologial impacts due to hydropower or navigation
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA

35. Thanks for your attention
Event/ date: ETC/ICM regional workshop West Balkan
Author: Anne Lyche Solheim, NIVA