This presentation was given as part of the EPA-funded Catchment Science and Management Course focusing on Integrated Catchment Management, held in June 2015. This course was delivered by RPS Consultants. If you have any queries or comments, or wish to use the material in this presentation, please contact catchments@epa.ie It is increasingly being recognised internationally that integrated catchment management (ICM) is a useful organising framework for tackling the ongoing challenge of balancing sustainable use and development of our natural resource, against achieving environmental goals. The basic principles of ICM (Williams, 2012) are to: • Take a holistic and integrated approach to the management of land, biodiversity, water and community resources at the water catchment scale; • Involve communities in planning and managing their landscapes; and • Find a balance between resource use and resource conservation ICM is now well established in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In Europe the ICM approach has been proposed as being required to achieve effective water and catchment management, and is the approach being promoted by DEFRA for the UK, where it is called the “Catchment Based Approach” (CaBA). The principles and methodologies behind ICM sit well within the context of the Water Framework Directive with its aims and objectives for good water quality, sustainable development and public participation in water resource management. In Ireland it is proposed that the ICM approach will underlie the work and philosophy in developing and implementing future River Basin Management Plans.

1. Catchment
ManagementField Measurements

8. Q5 assigned if :‐
a) Group A at least common* : Typically with either one or more Heptageniidae
spp or Ephemera sp. plus three
or more Plecoptera spp or else four or more Plecoptera species present
b) Group B ranging from scarce/absent to numerous
c) Group C not more than common* but B. rhodani may be dominant*
d) Groups D and E scarce* or absent.
e) Macrophytes, if present, diverse and not excessive in development.
f) Filamentous algae if present not excessive
g) Cladophora, sewage ‘fungus’ and other slime growths/complexes absent.
h) substrata clean and unsilted.
i) DO close to 100% at all times.
Q4 asssigned if :‐
a) At least one Group A taxon present in, at least, fair numbers*
b) Group B taxa may be common*, scarce* or absent
c) B. rhodani usually dominant* Other Group C taxa never excessive*
d) Groups D and E may be present in small numbers* or absent
e) Macrophyte & algal growths not excessive
f) Cladophora, if present, not excessive
g) Sewage ‘fungus’ and other slime growths absent
h) Substrata may be lightly silted
i) DO ranging from 80 to 120%
Q3‐4 assigned if :‐
a) At least one Group A taxon present in, at least small numbers*.
b) Group B common*, scarce* or absent
c) Group C numerous*, dominant* or excessive*.
d) Group D common*, scarce* or absent
e) Group E scarce* or absent.
f) Macrophytes and algal growths usually luxuriant, often excessive.
g) Cladophora, usually excessive.
h) Sewage ‘fungus’ and other slime growths sometimes present in small amounts.
i) Substrata may be considerably silted.
j) DO ranging from < 80 to >120%.
Q3 assigned if :‐
a) Group A absent.
b) Group B fair numbers*, scarce* or absent
c) Group C usually excessive* (Gammarus, Hydropsyche etc. may be fungus infested).
a) Groups D (excl. Asellus) common*, scarce* or absent
e) Group E scarce* or absent
f) Macrophytes, if present often silted and/or infested with epiphytic algae.
g) Cladophora usually excessive.
h) Sewage ‘fungus’ and other slime growths/complexes may be considerable.
i) Substrata may be heavily silted.
j) DO ranging from <80 to >120%.

9. Q2 assigned if :‐
a) Groups A and B absent.
b) Group C scarce* or absent.
c) Asellus sp. common* to excessive*. Other Group D taxa may be common*, numerous* or
excessive*.
d) Group E may be common*.
e) Macrophytes, if present silted and/or infested with epiphytic algae/sewage fungus.
f) Cladophora not usually apparent.
g) Sewage fungus and other slime growths/complexes usually considerable.
h) Substrata usually heavily silted. Often smells of sewage/detergent.
i) DO usually quite low (20 ‐ 50%)
Q1 assigned if :‐
a) Groups A, B and C absent.
b) Groups D scarce* or absent
c) Group E dominant*.
d) Macrophytes absent.
e) Cladophora absent.
f) Sewage ‘fungus’ and other slime growths/complexes present or absent.
g) Substrata usually heavily silted with anaerobic deposits. Often smells of H2S.
h) DO usually very low, sometime

10. AIDS TO IDENTIFICATION AND FURTHER INFORMATION
Beebee, T. (2007) Pond Life British Natural History Series, Whittet books, Suffolk Croft, P.S (1987) Key to the Major Groups of
British Freshwater Invertebrate Animals. Field Studies Council.
Drake, C.M., Lott, D.A., Alexander, K.N.A. & Webb, J. (2007) Surveying terrestrial and freshwater invertebrates for
conservation evaluation. Natural England Research Report NERR005.
Edington, J.M & Hildrew, A.G. (1995) A revised key of the caseless caddis larvae of the British Isles. Freshwater Biological
Association/Environment Agency.
Giller, P.S. & Malmqvist (1998) The Biology of Streams and Rivers. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Greenhalgh, M. and Ovenden, D. (2007) Freshwater Life Britain and Northern Europe. Collins Pocket Guide, London
Macadam, C. & Bennet, C. (2009 in prep) A pictorial guide to the British Ephemeroptera. Field Studies Council
Olsen, L-H, Sunesen, J. Pedersen, B.V. (2001) Small Freshwater Creatures. Oxford Natural History, Oxford University Press,
Oxford
Pryce, D. Macadam, C. & Brooks, S. (2007) Guide to the British Stonefly (Plecoptera) families: adults and larvae. Field Studies
Council.
Quigley, M. (1977) Invertebrates of streams and rivers. William Clowes & Sons Ltd., London.
Savage, A.A. (1999) Key to the larvae of British corixidae. Freshwater Biological Association, Ambleside.
Wallace, D., Wallace, B. & Philipson, G.N. (2003) Keys to the case-bearing caddis larvae Of Britain and Ireland. Freshwater
Biological Association, Scientific Publications, No. 61. Wallace, I. (2006) Simple Key to Caddis Larvae. Field Studies Council

11. Build Partnership
Create an ICM
Vision
Characterise the
Catchment
Undertake further
characterisation
Identify &
Evaluate Possible
Management
Strategies
Design an
Implementation
Programme
Implement the
River Basin
Management Plan
Measure Progress
and Make
Adjustments
INSIGHTS FROM HYDROCHEMISTRY
Some easily measured parameters - Catchment Structure and Function
CONDUCTIVITY
Rapid measure of the total ion (mineral salt) content of a water sample. Closely related to TDS
and gives an approximation of Hardness / Alkalinity. (Std reporting to 25C)
Electrical conductivity reflects water’s contact with and
passage through soils/subsoils and catchment geology.
Relatively constant under normal stream conditions.

12. Build Partnership
Create an ICM
Vision
Characterise the
Catchment
Undertake further
characterisation
Identify &
Evaluate Possible
Management
Strategies
Design an
Implementation
Programme
Implement the
River Basin
Management Plan
Measure Progress
and Make
Adjustments
Changes in river conductivity at downstream locations may indicate
GW contributions – especially where temperature drops and no
surface water inflows occur cf. Prevalence of limestone and limestone
rich subsoils (Pathways)
Gross contaminant indicator and changes may indicate contributions
from contaminated inflows - affected by the presence of inorganic
dissolved solids
chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate
sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and aluminum
Plant Performance Indicator
Conductivity
µS/cm
0 – 3 Distilled Water
>300 - 350 GW Limestone
800 GW Saline
Intrusion
1000 Surface Water
EQS
1500 DW Standard
CONDUCTIVITY

13. Build Partnership
Create an ICM
Vision
Characterise the
Catchment
Undertake further
characterisation
Identify &
Evaluate Possible
Management
Strategies
Design an
Implementation
Programme
Implement the
River Basin
Management Plan
Measure Progress
and Make
Adjustments
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
Dependent on temperature (and salinity) – Seasonal trends
Important indicator of pollution and/or eutrophication in rivers
Plant respiration and photosynthesis -> diurnal variation
(Maximum depletion just before dawn)
Organic pollution and high BOD results in Oxygen sag (? temp increase)
GW influence on SW (? temp decrease)
Morphology will influence re-aeration

14. Build Partnership
Create an ICM
Vision
Characterise the
Catchment
Undertake further
characterisation
Identify &
Evaluate Possible
Management
Strategies
Design an
Implementation
Programme
Implement the
River Basin
Management Plan
Measure Progress
and Make
Adjustments
pH is a measure of the acidity of water and varies depending
on the geology of the catchment
It can also be influenced by wastewater discharges and
biological processes (photosynthesis)
In eutrophic waters, diurnal variations of pH may follow the
diurnal variations in dissolved oxygen
Acid peaty waters 4.5 to >10 with intense photosynthesis.
6.5 to 8 generally
pH