Minimising Hydromorphological Impacts Through Water Management

Indo-European Water Forum, 23.-24. Nov. 2015, New Delhi 2 / 19
HOW TO MINIMISE THE MORPHOLOGICAL
IMPACTS DUE TO WATER MANAGEMENT ? THE
EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
Helena Mühlmann
Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry,
Environment and Water Management

What is Hydromorphology?
Physical characteristics of the shape, boundaries and content of a water body (river, lake)
 hydrological and geo-morphological elements
 dynamic processes
Hydromorphological elements:
Hydrological regime Morphological conditions
quantity and dynamics of water flow river depth and width variation
structure and substrate of the river bed
River continuity structure of the riparian zone
longitudinal and lateral
Natural habitat for type-specific
aquatic flora and fauna

Hydromorphological impacts
Continuity Morphology Hydrology
Environmental degradation - Loss of habitats - Impact on Ecology - Decrease of biodiversity
Alterations to natural hydromorphological characteristics caused by water uses (drivers)
like hydropower, flood protection, navigation, urbanization, water supply, agriculture, …
 transversal structures (weirs, dams): disruption of continuity for biota and sediment
 river regulation & flood protection works: physical alterations of river bed / banks,
disconnection of floodplains
 impoundment/reservoirs: reduced flow velocity, altered sediment quantity and composition
 water diversion /abstraction: reduced flow quantity, reduced flow dynamics
 dredging /maintenance for navigation: changes to river bed and sediment

New challenge for water management- Ecology
UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Goals (inter alia):
• protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands,
rivers, aquifers and lakes
• ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland
freshwater ecosystems and their services; halt of biodiversity loss
The concept of sustainable development and environmental protection became a
guiding principle of national and international action:
Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocols (International Hydropower Association):
assessing environmental, social, technical and financial aspects
International Project Financing:
Consideration of environmental and social standards in infrastructure projects compulsory
(Equator Principles)
Water protection comprises chemical and ecological protection
ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING

The EU Water Framework Directive
Main goals for surface waters:
 Achieve good ecological and chemical status
 Maintain high/good status where it exists
 Prevent deterioration of status
River Basin Management Plans and Programmes of measures
New approach in water protection in Europe
Comprehensive protection of all waters
Strong focus on ecosystem functioning

Hydromorphological pressures in Europe
Percentage of river water bodies
and lake water bodies affected by
hydromorphological alterations

Ecological status in Austria
ecological
status
biological
status
regarding
chemical
conditions
biological
status
regarding
hydromorph-
ological
pressures
naturalWB
high status 14,60% 18,20% 18,70%
good status 22,40% 56,90% 24,10%
moderate status 31,60% 19,70% 29,80%
poor status 13,50% 3,00% 17,60%
bad status 4,30% 0,10% 6,10%
HMWBor
AWB
good ecological potential or better 1,70%
moderate ecological potential or
worse 9,90%
no status classificiation - AWB 2,10%
Ecological status/potential of
rivers > 10 km2
(2015)
63,4 % of rivers fail good ecological status/potential
due to hydromorphological alterations

Frame Conditions in Austria (1)
Federal state with 9 provinces
• Area: 84.000 km2
• Inhabitants: ~ 8 Mio.
• Capital: Vienna (1,8 Mio. inhabitants)
• Pop. Density: 100 inh./km²
Predominately alpine character
High population density in valleys
• High precipitation - high abundance of water
(Alps: “water tower of Europe”)
Mean precipitation: 1 m/year (< 0,5 up to 3 m)
• ~ 3 % of available water resources are used
(~2,5 billion m³/year)
• 100% of waste water treated => nutrients and
chemicals no major issue

Frame Conditions in Austria (2)
high population density
in valleys and basins
flood defence has
long tradition!
Map from early 1800
primary energy resource:
hydropower
40 TWh/a → 2/3 of total
electricity production by HP
5 200 HP Plants
> 10 MW: 156
1-10 MW: 225
< 1 MW: 4 800

Ecological Status 2015 - Responsible HYMO Pressures
Missing Eflow: 10% (of river net) Hydropeaking: 1,6% (of river net)
Signif. morpholog.-
alterations: 30% (of river net)
Impoundments 4% (of river net)
Migration barriers: 33.000 (~1/km)
ca. 10% due to hydropower
Ecological status/potential of
rivers > 10 km2
(2015)

Challenges for water management
• WFD demands restoration/mitigation measures to reach environmental objectives
within stringent timeframe
• Multitude of problems can not be solved in short or medium - term
• Lack of knowledge about biological effects of some measures
- Is measure sufficient to reach good status?
- How much restored river length is needed to reach good status?
 stepwise approach and ecological prioritisation for program of measures
 stepwise achievement of environmental objectives
River Basin Management Plan – Programme of measures
Priority setting: Measures concentrate on
 priority rivers
 priority measures („no regret measures“)
Research!
Monitoring!

Programme of measures 1st RBMP 2009-2015
Priority rivers for hydromorphological restoration measures:
•large rivers and mouth of large tributaries
•natural habitat of medium distance migratory fish

 Continuity:
complete restoration of continuity in natural
habitat of medium distance migratory fish
~ 1000 migration barriers restored
Programme of measures 1st RBMP 2009-2015
 Ecological flow:
Defined guideline values for ecological
minimum flow (high confidence to achieve
good ecological status)
~ 200 impacted stretches restored
 Morphological restoration measures
Increasing habitat diversity in regulated rivers
~ 250 morphological restoration measures

National supporting tools on Hydromorphology
● Guidance for building fish migration aids
● Catalogue of hydromorphological measures
description of measures and ecological effects
● Austrian Ordinance on Ecological Status
Assessment
Criteria of Hydromorphological conditions for
high and good ecological status
● Guidance on river engineering and ecology

International research projects funded by EU
● REFORM - Restoring rivers for effective catchment management
Supporting tool for water managers
- assessment of success and cost-effectiveness of restoration measures
- synergies with other uses
European activities on Hydromorphology
Common Implementation Strategy
● Several CIS Workshops on hydromorphological issues within WFD
● CIS policy paper and technical report: WFD and Hydromorphological pressures
with recommendations for better policy integration (focus on hydropower, navigation
and flood defence)
● Intercalibration of ecological potential: EU-wide harmonisation of HYMO measures for
reaching good ecological potential in Heavily Modified Waterbodies
● MARS - Managing aquatic ecosystems under multiple stress
Supporting tool for water managers and policy makers
- diagnose multiple stress situations and to predict
the outcome of restorations

Prevention/minimisation of new HYMO pressures – Flood protection
Flood protection
• Always consider impact on ecology when planning new flood protection measures
• Hard river regulation measures only where absolutely necessary (urban areas)
• Focus on natural water retention measures
reconnection of floodplains
removal of river bank protection
Reconnection of oxbows
Room for the river!
Positive effects on ecology and biodiversity!
Win-win solutions!
Restoration of existing hydromorphological pressures is very cost-intensive!
Focus in water management also on PREVENTION of new hydromorphological pressures

Measure with mutual benefits Ecology – Flood protection
Damages after flood 2013
© Christian WIESENEGGER,
Amt der Salzburger Landesregierung

Prevention/minimisation of new HYMO pressures - Hydropower
EU-Renewable Energy Directive:
• to reach goal additional 7 TWh hydropower generation until 2020 is intended in AT
• ¾ of HP potential is already exploited
Existing Hydropower Plants:
 Pushing ecological restoration (subsidies, technical guidelines)
 Modernisation/Boosting hidden potentials
Increase efficiency and output & improvement of ecology at the same time
New Hydropower Plants:
 Ecological requirements (prerequisite to get a permit)
 Strategic planning on regional level
• Ideal location for HP development: maximum energy output and minimum
ecological impact
• Transparent decision criteria
• Weighting of different public interests and other water management aspects
• Go and No Go-Areas
Further development of hydropower while protecting aquatic environment

Summary and Conclusions
• Hydromorphological alterations cause severe impacts on natural dynamics and
ecological conditions of rivers
• To reach environmental objectives and biodiversity goals the impact of existing pressures
needs to be reduced (restoration/mitigation)
• Restoring/Mitigating existing pressures is very expensive/technically challenging
• Avoidance of new pressures wherever possible is crucial!
• Ecological aspects should always be considered from the beginning, when planning
new projects
• Transparent decision process considering different public interests; stakeholder
involvement
• Win-Win solutions often possible

Minimising Hydromorphological Impacts Through Water Management

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