The History and Future of British Rivers and Waterways February 21 st 2013 River Basin Management Issues and Ecological Status Paul Logan
Introduction Developing the understanding of Ecological Status Results Future challenges Development of biological methods Errors Consistency Comparability
Great Stink 1858
Every generation takes the natural environment it encounters during childhood as the norm against which it measures environmental decline later in life. With each ensuing generation, environmental degradation generally increases, but each generation takes that degraded condition as the new normal. Scientists call this phenomenon shifting baselines or inter-generational amnesia, and it is part of a larger and more nebulous reality the insidious ebbing of the ecological and social relevancy of declining and disappearing species. Waldman 2010.
Great Stink 1970 s bbc.co.uk UNCLASSIFIED 5
1970 s Copyright John Grayson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence Copyright John Grayson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence Class km percentage Unpolluted 28500 74 Doubtful 6270 17 Poor 1940 5 Grossly Polluted 1700 4
Reservoirs William Matthews Copyright Tony Atkin and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. Copyright Derek Harper and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence UNCLASSIFIED 7
1980s Yorkshire Interpreted Index Trent Biotic Index Thames Water Authority Biotic Index Lincoln Index Chandlers Index Copyright Graham Horn and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. Biological Monitoring Working Party Score UNCLASSIFIED 8
Diversity in Methods Most biologists would rather use his colleagues toothbrush than his method of sampling Ernst Nusch European Standards Committee 1986 Field Biologists are characteristically maverick in their approach to their method of working. At a recent EU intercalibration and harmonisation exercise no two experts use the same method - De Pauw and Hawkes 1993 River Water Monitoring and Control UNCLASSIFIED 9
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1990 s Consistency coarse Substratum fine B A A A A A A A A A A B B discriminant function 1 d.f. 1 A B B B B B B B B B A B Distance from source UNCLASSIFIED 11
Biological General Quality Assessment results into the 2000s Percentage of rivers of Biological good quality 1990 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Scotland 86.7 86.2 87.5 86.8 87.3 87.6 Wales 78.5 78.3 78.5 79.3 79.4 80.0 82.0 86.9 88.00 England 55.4 69.0 69.8 70.5 71.0 71.4 72.1 72.3 72.0 Northern Ireland 76.1 61.5 57.3 56.6 51.1 55.7 53.8 Defra website UNCLASSIFIED 12
2000 s Water Framework Directive prevents further deterioration of and protects and enhances the status of aquatic ecosystems promotes sustainable water use UNCLASSIFIED 13
Prevent status deterioration GROUNDWATER BODY OBJECTIVES GW quantity status GW chemistry status Reverse significant upward pollution trends SURFACE WATER BODY OBJECTIVES Prevent, limit & reduce pollution Cease priority hazardous discharges ECOLOGY preserve, protect, improve Objectives of the Water Framework Directive? SW Body Ecological Status GW Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems H G M P B Good Ecological Status SW Biology Good Chemical Status Flow, Depth, Physical Habitat etc. SW Chemistry Supporting hydromorphology HAZARD No significant damage 'ALTERNATIVE' OBJECTIVES may subsequently be set where these initial defaults cannot be achieved (where justified by technical infeasibility, disproportionate cost, Heavily Modified or Artificial Water Bodies) PROTECTED AREA OBJECTIVES Nitrate Vulnerable Drinking Water Natura 2000 Bathing Waters Good GW Quantitative Status Good GW Chemical Status Economic shellfish & Fish OTHER OBJECTIVES Contribute to mitigation of floods & droughts Efficient & sustainable water use (Polluter pays principle) (Cost recovery principle)
Ecological Status Classification Biological Classification Physico-chemical Classification General Ecological Status Specific polluting substances
WFD Annex V Normative Definition Good Status Benthic Invertebrates in Rivers There are slight changes in the composition and abundance of invertebrate taxa from the typespecific communities The ratio of disturbance-sensitive taxa to insensitive taxa shows slight alteration from the type-specific levels The level of diversity of invertebrate taxa shows slight signs of alteration from type-specific levels UNCLASSIFIED 16
EQR(Biology) Intercalibration 17 Normative Definition Agreed In negotiation No national method Countries Not Compliant UNCLASSIFIED
Intercalibration Outcomes Comparability amongst Member States Geographical Intercalibration Group Alpine Central Baltic Eastern Continental Mediterranean Northern Macrophytes & Phytobenthos 6 13 6 7 5 Invertebrates Fish 6 16 6 7 5 4 11 4 4 4 UNCLASSIFIED 18
Intercalibration Outcomes 2 nd Commission Decision Independent peer review. the intercalibration of ecological status classes has launched the European Community on a heuristic path that, with commitment, can be expected to lead to ever improving comparability, and ultimately, it can be hoped, towards improved ecological sustainability. Susan P Davies (2012) 19
European Standards 2000 - Annex V 3 Macro invertebrate sampling methods 2013 available for Annex V 13 Standards Macro invertebrates, Macrophytes, Phytobenthos, Fish, Hydromorphology UNCLASSIFIED 20
Post GQA and Now ENGLAND WALES Ecological status Ecological status Status 2009 % 2012 % 2009 % 2012 % High <1 <1 <1 0 Good 26 25 31 36 Moderate 60 55 60 56 Poor 12 18 8 7 Bad 2 2 <1 <1 Good or better 26 25 31 36 UNCLASSIFIED 21
Reasons for failure: Pressures on the Water Environment Physical Modification Phosphate Abstraction and Flow Dissolved Oxygen Sediment Ammonia Specific Pollutants BOD Pressure on Ground Water Priority Substances Alien Species ph Nitrate Temperature Fish Stocking Other Pollutants Still under investigation England (2012) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Percentage of waterbodies assigned a reason for fauilure attributed to each pressure draft 22
New Issues UNCLASSIFIED 23
Heavily Modified Water Bodies UNCLASSIFIED 24
Future UNCLASSIFIED 25
Ecosystem Approach and Ecosystem Services UNCLASSIFIED 26
NEA Trends in UK Ecosystem Services: Important to Environment Agency Decreasing
How do we judge significant water management issues Reason for failure Cost to stand still Cost to get to good Restricting Economic Growth Lost Services? UNCLASSIFIED 28
Conclusion Developing the understanding of Ecological Status Results Future challenges Development of biological methods Errors Consistency Comparability
Every generation takes the natural environment it encounters during childhood as the norm against which it measures environmental decline later in life. With each ensuing generation, environmental degradation generally increases, but each generation takes that degraded condition as the new normal. Scientists call this phenomenon shifting baselines or inter-generational amnesia, and it is part of a larger and more nebulous reality the insidious ebbing of the ecological and social relevancy of declining and disappearing species. Waldman 2010.