1. on Identification and Designation of Heavily Modified and
CIS Working Group 2.2 HMWB Guidance Document
on Identification and Designation
of Heavily Modified and
Artificial Water Bodies 13. September 2002

2. Progress to Date (1) The project plan for working group 2.2 was to:
1. produce draft guidance papers
2. test this guidance by undertaking case studies
3. produce a synthesis of case study experience
4. review the guidance

3. Progress to Date (2)
=> 12 Guidance Papers were produced until Dec. 2001
=> 33 Case Studies have been undertaken by 11 States with having reported by July (web site:
1st draft of the Synthesis Report has been circulated for comment in April 2002 (summary is provided) – final version will be available in early 2003
Final draft Guidance Document and Policy Summary are available upon CIRCA
1st draft toolbox was produced by June 2002 – final version will be available in December 2002

4. Development of Guidance
1st draft guidance was produced in mid May
Conference in Berlin on 30/31 May included 13 MS, Norway, 3 Accession States, stakeholders, representa tives from IMPRESS/WATECO/INTERCAL/REF COND/MONITORING, contractors of the case studies Eight 3hr workshop sessions reviewed the guidance
2nd draft guidance distributed in mid June was dis cussed at the 4th HMWB Working Group meeting on /19 June in Brussels
3rd draft guid. distributed by 2nd Aug. for comments
Final guidance and policy paper (13. September 2002)

5. Artikel 4 (3)
Identification and Designation of Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies

6. Definition of ”Artificial Water Body”
WFD Article 2 (8)
"Artificial water body“ means a body of surface water created by human activity.

7. What means „created by human activity“ ?
An AWB means a surface water body
=> which has been created in a location where no water body existed before and
=> which has not been created by the direct physical modification or movement or realignment of an existing water body
Note ! MS have the option to identify such WB as AWB or to identify them as natural WB !

8. AWB Definition of the GD - Examples -
All WB created by man are „artificial“ e.g.
=> canals constructed for navigation
=> drainage chanals for irrigation
=> man-made ponds and dug ponds
=> harbours and docks
=> dredging pools, surface mining lakes
=> storage reservoirs for hydropower use

9. Artikel 4 (3)
Identification and Designation of Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies

10. Definition of ”Heavily Modified Water Body”
WFD Article 2 (9)
"Heavily modified water body" means a body of surface water which as a result of physical alterations by human activity is substantially changed in character, as designated by the Member State in accordance with the provisions of Annex II.

11. Overview of the main physical alterations
Creation of back waters through embankments
Land claim
Land drainage
Bank reinforcement, fixation, embankments
Channelisation, straightening
Shipping channels
Channel maintenance, dredging, removal of material
Dams & weirs
Urbani-sation
Water supply
Agric. Fores.
Hydro-power
Flood pro-tection
Navi-gation
Uses Physical alterations
Recre-ation x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

12. Main impacts upon hydromorphology and biologyx
Change in groundwater level
Soil erosion/silting
Artificial discharge regime
Direct mechanical damage to fauna/flora
Low/reduced flow
Restriction/Loss of flood plains
Detachment of ox-bow lakes/wetlands
Change in river profile
Disruption in river continuum & sediment transport
Urbani-sation
Water supply
Agric. Fores.
Hydro-power
Flood pro-tection
Navi-gation
Uses Impacts
Recre- ation x x x x x x x x x x x x x

13. River Rhein at Breisach:
Loss of structural diversity caused by channelisation, straightening etc.
* 1828 (nearly) natural status
* 1872 flood protection measures have been taken (Tulla)
* 1963 after further channelisation

14. Artikel 4 (3)
Identification and Designation of Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies

15. Artikel 4 (3)
Identification and Designation of Artificial and Heavily Modified Water Bodies

16. Establishment of MEP
Step 10.1: Choose quality elements for MEP based on comparable water category
Step 10.2: Establish MEP hydromorphological condi tions, applying all mitigation measures which do not have significant adverse effects on the uses or the wider environment
Step 10.3: Establish MEP physico-chemical conditions based on comparable water type and results of step 10.2
Step 10.4: Establish MEP biological conditions based on comparable water type and results of Steps 10.2 and 10.3

17. Establishment of GEP
Step 11.1: The establishment of GEP is principally based on the biological quality elements
Step 11.2: The hydromorphological conditions must be such as to support the achievment of the GEP biological values
Step 11.3: The values for the general physico-chemical quality elements should be used as defined by REFCOND and COAST
Step 11.4: GEP requires compliance with the EQS for specific synthetic and non-synthetic pollutants
The setting of class boundaries for natural waters and AWB/HMWB should be comparable – there is no need for a specific approach for AWB/HMWB

18. Future Development
1. Presumably a need exists for a focal point dealing with the future AWB/HMWB activities - facilitate contacts in and between the MS, make information available concerning the understanding of the GD and case study results
2. An information exchange mechanism is needed for the exchange of gathered experiences in the application of the GD; therefore from time to time meetings or work- shops should be organised to facilitate the exchange of experiences concerning the future AWB/HMWB work
3. In the context of the application and harmonisation of the links of all GD, a cluster of the WG 2.1, 2.2, 2.9 and might be appropriate