WG 2 HYMO - The Norwegian SMVF and classification system Nordic Conference 2017, 13 th 15 th September in Trondheim, Norway Foto: Yvonne Roualet
Main pressures Norway (RBMPs) Main pressures no of surface water bodies Water storage Acid rain Agricultural runoff Runoff from scattered houses Invasive species Runoff from urban areas Pollution form sewage plants Run off other sources Water abstraction Point source pollution - industry
No of HMWB rivers and km2 of HMBW lakes Artificial WBs: 0
Key message in NO HMWBs guidelines Published in 2014 Mitigation measure methods to be used GEP imply minimum ecological requirements
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6 What is a functioning ecosystem? All quality elements naturally present must be present, but The inventory can be changed Some species or genotypes can be absent Water vegetation can be absent in regulated lakes Crucial ecological functions for life cycles must be present Minimum possibilities for natural spawning and growing up A significant part of the WB must have water cover throughout the year Measures (fish stocking, habitat adjustments) can be done to reach the objectives for anadromous fish Minimum requirements for migration and distribution for particular important species or stocks (parts of the year). Some of the natural migration possibilities can be replaced by measures (artificial fish passes, moving of fish)
Mitigation measures in process to reduce hydropower impacts by 2021-2033 Pressure pays principle in place for most hydropower licenses Political signals on hydropower and biodiversity from parliament (2016) Increase revision of terms Modernise legal possibilities for mitigation requirements RBMPs adopted by Ministry (July 2016) 387 water bodies specified in decision Flow measure in more than 50 rivers 2021-2033 (revision required) Mitigating impacts from hydropower in priority water bodies by 2021-2033 River basin districs Flow measures Other measures Totalt Glomma/Västerhavet 35 33 68 Vest-Viken 35 56 91 Agder 17 8 25 Rogaland 2 1 3 Hordaland 10 13 23 Sogn/Fjordane 13 48 61 Møre/Romsdal 12 10 22 Trøndelag 8 10 18 Nordland 16 23 39 Troms 8 21 29 Finnmark 4 4 8 Norway 160 227 387
Towards sustainable (permanent) mitigation Fish stocking Ecological measures, «Effect on use measures»; volunteerly or after revision of concession
Norwegian classification system HyMo-methods: Biology QE Water vegetation in regulated lakes Macroinvertebrates i rivers (ASPT) general Density of young salmonid fish in rivers general Classification based on reduction in fish population size - general
Norwegian classification system HyMo-methods: HyMo QE Index for migration barriers and fragmentation of rivers Classification based on changes in water flow and wetted area, compared to natural condition
Norwegian classification system Not good enough! HyMo is the pressure type with the least satisfactory classification methods It is challeging to make good dose-respons analysis on biological effects of HyMo-changes
REFORM-project Hydromorphology should be used as a quality element in its own right in the WFD status assessment as BQE cannot differentiate between different degrees of HYMO degradation Fish is the most sensitive biological quality element with regard to hydromorphology Current sampling methods are not appropriate to capture HYMO impacts and they underestimate the influence of HYMO on biota.
Future work Fish is the most sensitive QE, and the most used element in assessment of the effecte of HyMo-changes A good assessment system for fish is critical for the use of the classification system in evaluating regulated rivers and we are working on it! Development of methods for classification of HyMo QE in the «Hymo-project» Sampling methods.
Overview HYMO alteration and GEP Europe NO vs SE European inter-comparison of Good Ecological Potential (GEP) Emerging best practise Towards updated CIS guidance «Tourist attraction flow» in Vøringsfossen Foto: Svein-Magne Tunli
Reported pressure, HMWB and AW in Sweden Reported pressure River Lake Coast Total 2.7 - Diffuse - Atmospheric deposition 14282 7055 650 21987 4.2.9 - Dams, barriers and locks - Unknown or obsolete 4142 1457 0 5599 4.1.4 - Physical alteration of channel/bed/riparian area/shore - Other 3243 112 1 3356 2.3 - Diffuse - Forestry 1759 826 157 2742 4.5 - Hydromorphological alteration - Other 1803 470 1 2274 2.2 - Diffuse - Agricultural 1007 437 377 1821 4.2.1 - Dams, barriers and locks - Hydropower 1137 413 0 1550 2.6 - Diffuse - Discharges not connected to sewerage network 774 343 288 1405 4.2.8 - Dams, barriers and locks - Other 1174 194 0 1368 4.1.5 - Physical alteration of channel/bed/riparian area/shore - Unknown or obsolete 1272 66 6 1344 Use GEP_2021 GEP_2027 Total Drinking water 1 1 2 Harbor HMWB 1 1 Hydropower HMWB 2 669 671 Transport AW 1 1 Unclear AW 6 0 6 Unclear HMWB 1 0 1 Total 10 672 682
R. Mair DG ENV Wien, 12.02.17
River Hymo Methods Activity how MS hymo methods support WFD implementation. October 2016 Workshop in Ispra, Elaboration Questionnaire Winter 2016 Questionnaire on Hymo Measures to GEP Circulation and filled in by MS Spring to Summer 2017 Elaboration of the first report Analysis of the Responses to the Questionnaire September 2017 1 Draft Report Circulation to hymo WG members for comments November 2017 Workshop (Madrid, second half Nov. - tbc) Finalise the report and discuss open issues.
CIS ECOSTAT approach for assessing comparability Hymo alterations Pollution pressures Mitigation measures expected in HMWBs for GEP Existing intercalibrated methods - where not significantly affected by the hymo alterations Comparison of biology/hymo standards ruled out before 2016
Common understanding - mitigating impacts from water storage, flood protection & land drainage JRC-reports on Good ecological potential and mitigation measures needed Common terminology and pictograms Key impacts to be mitigated Minimum ecological requirements Emerging good practise
Measure options hydropeaking Hydromorphological alteration Rapidly changing flows (including hydro peaking) Main ecological impact* Reduction in animal & plant species abundance due to stranding & wash out Mitigation measures options 1. Balancing reservoir(s) (internal) 2. Relocate tailrace 3. Reduce rate 4. Modify river morphology 5. Balancing reservoir(s) (external) 6. (Fish stocking some countries) ( )
Flow mitigation Country wise information on Ranking of measures Effect on water use Technical annex to GEP/Water storage report (CIRCABC)
Key measures to mitigate impacts from water storage in Europe Ch 6 11: Key mitigations of alterations Ch 12: Sustainable vs non-sustainable mitigation solutions Ch 13: Scale of impacts typically mitigated Ch 14 15: Reasons and frequencies for out-ruling measures Ch 16: Minimum requirements Ch 17-18: Key findings and recommendations Basis for the next steps towards common understanding
GEP core group Concept note Wien, 12.02.17
Generic case River characteristics Reservoir instream Reservoir with abstractions and rapidly changing flows downstream Ponded river (impoundment) Abstraction (without significant ponding) A 1 1) A 2 2) B1 3) B2 4) B3 5) C1 6) C2 7) D 8) 1. Outside natural fish zone 2. Temporary river Within natural fishzone Frequency of generic cases (type of regulated rivers) to compare in Europe: +++ highly frequent; ++ frequent + for less frequent combinations 0.. not relevant in our country 3. High gradient, small/ medium river +++ 0 4. High gradient, large river 5. Low gradient, small medium river 6. Low gradient, large river 0 +++ 7. Glacial river Other (Please describe)
Agro drain in Sweden Joint project between SWaM and Swedish Board of Agriculture parallel with agro drain within WG ECOSTAT Definition for significant adverse effects on use (land drainage) National list of mitigation measures including effects on status and the use Outcome technical report to support Guidance on HMWB (agro drain) List of mitigation measures Significant adverse effects on use
HYMO for GEP in Sweden Guidance HMWB (general) HMWB (hydropower) Objectives Technical reports Hydropower regulating power and value for the electrical system Freshwater N2000 sensitivity to hydromorphological impact Mitigation meassures and hydropower Ongoing work Dialog for the environment and hydropower HMWB - defining measures for GEP and setting the objectives Agro drain dialog Guidance HMWB (agro drain)
Summary and next steps EU Inter-comparison of GEP National methods to be applied on common modifications (generic cases) Basis for updating CIS guidance on HMWBs and GEP by 2018 Sweden Mitigation measures for HMWB water storage new objectives Potential new HMWB agro drain including mitigation measures and setting objectives Coastal HyMo HyMo- charactarization and classification Norway Revision of concessions modernise environmental requirements (hydropower) by 2033 In priority catchments with hydropower Fish pass, flow requirements and other relevant mitigation measures Less focus on other hymo issues e. g. AgroDrain