Managing heavily modified water bodies in the Netherlands Bob Dekker EU Water Director Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management The Netherlands 3 April 2009
Area (in blue) prone to flooding
A dam Adam Airport below sea level
Reclamed land from a lake
Step 1 Identification and designation of water bodies Artificial water bodies Heavily modified water bodies Remaining water bodies ( natural water bodies ) 7 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Draft River Basin Management Plans of the Netherlands: Natural waterbodies 17 Artificial waterbodies 403 Heavily modified d 303 total 723 8 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Natural 9 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Natural
Natural
Natural
Natural
Artificial
Artificial
Artificial
Artificial
Artificial
Artificial
Heavily modified
Heavily modified
Heavily modified
Natural?
Natural?
Natural?
Land reclamed from the sea
Heavily modified! But with high ecological value
Step 2 Establishment of Good Ecological Potential (GEP) standard method (CIS guidance 2003) alternative method ( Prague 2005) Coordinated d between national and regional authorities With involvement of stakeholders 28 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Standard Method (CIS guidance 2003) Alternative method (Prague, 2005) Reference condition tus/eqr ecolog gical sta hydromorphological alteration mitigation all possible measures minus measures with small ecological effect MEP GEP Present ecological status 29 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Comparison between GES and GEP Natural river 1.0 Regulated river GES 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 EQR GEP 0.42 0.28 0.15 EQR Objective in RBMP 30 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Comparison GES and GEP results Rhinedelta (490 waterbodies) Lakes GES GEP (avg.) Rivers GES GEP (avg.) phytoplankton 0.6 0.58 other flora 0.6 0.53 macro-invert invert. 0.6 0.42 fish 0.6 0.51 phytoplankton other flora 0.6 0.54 macro-invert. 0.6 0.45 fish 0.6 0.41 31 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Step 3 Establishment of programmes of measures basic measures supplementary measures Coordinated d between national and regional authorities With involvement of stakeholders 32 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Measures: RBMP s (1) National policy (basic measures according to WFD art 11.3a) Continuation of national water-policy Community legislation Point and diffuse sources (WFD art 11.3g & h) Removal of untreated waste water discharges (365 discharges, by 2015 / 108, from 2015 to 2027) Solving sewerage spills (156 / 6) Improvements at wastewater treatment plants (59 / 15) Removal of polluted sediments (5,6 million m 3 ) 33 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Measures: RBMP s (2) Hydromorphological measures (WFD art 11.3i) Restoration of land-water gradients in lakes and canals (1727 / 3357 km) Rest. of land-water gradients, re-meandering in rivers (729 / 930 km) Creation of wetlands (1362 / 704 ha) Projects for fish-migration at weirs (635 / 884) Water level management, creation of side channels, etc Supplementary measures (WFD art 11.4) Fishmanagement ( biomanipulation ) Management of macrophytes Education, research, etc 4.2 billion extra costs 34 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Step 4 Implementing the measures 35 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Nederrijn Old situation
Nederrijn New situation
Overijsselse Vecht Old situation 39 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Overijsselse Vecht New situation 40 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Ratumsebeek Old situation
Ratumsebeek New situation 42 Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat
Thank you for your attention 3 April 2009