Water management in Sweden an introduction Andreas Aronsson Inland Water Management Coordinator
Five Water Scientifically based borders Five Marine Basins Main Drainage Areas Five out of 21 County Administrations were appointed
Organisation Government Swedish Enivronmental Protection Agency Swedish Geological Survey Five water authorities 21 County administrations 290 Municipalities Water councils Groups of stakeholders Public participation
Water district management Water Authority coordinates activities within the district, prescribes Environmental Quality Standards, Programme of Measures and River Basin Management Plan, County Administrative Boards responsible for establishment of water councils and local work groups within sub-basins, proposals for EQS, PoM, RBMP, monitoring programme,
Water Framework Directive - Purpose Prevent further deterioration and protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems, Promote sustainable water use, Specific measures against priority substances, Ensure a progressive reduction of groundwater pollution and prevent further pollution, Contribute to mitigating the effects of floods and droughts
Why does the WFD concern us? Tourism Agriculture and forestry Locals Municipalities Industries
River Basin Management Plan Mapping och analysis Monitoring Classification and Enivronmental objectives Environmental Quality Standards and Programme of Measures
Waterbodies Surface water lakes >1 km 2, VF stretches of water with a catchment area > 10 km 2, AV AV coastal water areas, water bodies used for the abstraction of water intended for human consumption or water bodies protected by other means. Groundwater AV AV VF VF groundwater bodies serving more than 50 persons, or from which more than 10 m 3 of water is abstracted per day.
Water Management within the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) Environmental objectives to be reached Surface water bodies Good ecological and Good chemical status. Groundwater bodies Good chemical and Good quantitative status. Protected areas (e.g. Water Protection Areas) above objectives and objectives according to relevant specific legislation. Timeframes Main goal reach all objectives by 2015. In practice time extended to 2021 for most water bodies that do not meet objectives today. Extended time necessary for administrative, practical and economic reasons.
Ecological status for surface water Biological factors Physical-chemical factors Hydromorphological factors Worst factor determines total ecological status of water body Status classificatio High Good n Moderate Poor Bad
Kvalitetsfaktorer: Biologiska Kemiska Fysiska
Chemical status for surface water Considering 33 priority substances EU-wide Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) have to be met Status classificatio Good n Failing to achieve good
Chemical and quantitative status for groundwater Considering certain substances EQS have to be met (according to specific directive and Swedish legislation) Status classificatio Good n Poor Balance between abstraction and regeneration
Enivronmental quality standards (EQS) A tool to reach the ecological and chemical objectives Not just goals obligated by legislation Directed to national and regional authorities and municipalities. NOT common people
Communication on the web www.vattenmyndigheterna.se http://www.viss.lst.se/
The Bothnian Bay River Basin District Facts 7 Counties 52 Municipalities, 920 000 inh 23 Major sub-basins 3679 Lakes 7369 Water courses 62 Coastal basins 781 Groundwater bodies 146 667 km 2 approx. 33%.
- Environmental problems - Surface waters Eutrophication (710) Acidification (1 836) Hydromorphological alterations (5 243) Pollution (1 893; Hg 10 545) Alien species (131)
- Environmental problems - Eutrophication Approx. 60 % Not a major problem in this district. Mainly three large areas and along the costline. Concentrated to areas with a high density of people and also were farming is more intense.
- Environmental problems - Eutrophication Measures to counteract eutrophication: Approx. 60 % 1) The connection of private sewer facilities to municipal facilities. 2) Buffer strip zones in forestry and in agriculture, combined with other measures. 3) Further enhancements of the sewer facilities of the industries in the district. and more.
- Environmental problems - Acidification Approx. 60 % A major, however decreasing, problem in our district. Mainly two large areas, but fairly even distribution in the district. Concentrated to areas were the rate of weathering of the bedrock is low and the soils are shallow.
- Environmental problems - Acidification Measures to counteract acidification: 1) Different forms of liming activities. Approx. 13 MSEK each year in the County of Västernorrland; 160 MSEK in total in Sweden. 2) International efforts with the purpuse of decreasing the arial deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds.
- Environmental problems - Hydromorphological alterations Approx. 60 % A major problem in our district; perhaps the largest and most complex in terms of legislation and cost-benifit calculations. Even distribution in the district. Derives mainly from historical forms of forest practice and the production of hydro-electrical power.
- Environmental problems- Hydromorphological alterations Measures to counteract hydromorphological alterations: 1) Create migration routes for fish and other organisms, for example fishways or adjusting road pipes. 2) Restoration of habitats lost during driving of timbers. 3) Restore natural flow regime through new legislation and by adjusting old water decrees. and more
- Environmental problems - Pollution A major problem in our district due to a long Approx. industrial 60 % history, in particular the forest industry. Concentrated to the costs and adjecent to the larger rivers in the district. The level of Mercury (Hg) in Pike (Esox lucius) is considered to exceed the level (0.02 mg Hg/kg) set by the authority in all surface waters (with some exceptions).
- Environmental problems - Pollution Measures to counteract pollution: Approx. 1) 60 Decontaminating % of polluted areas affecting water bodies. 2) Create protected areas through different kinds of legislation. Especially important to secure the requirement of good quality drinking water, today and in the future. 3) Legislation to ensure the control of disharge from the industries. and much more
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) - Environmental problems- Alien species Approx. 60 % Not a major problem in this district, however the abundance of alien species is not clear. So far, reliable data are only avilable for some species of fish. Evenly spread throughout the district.? Lake trout (S. namaycush)
- Environmental problems - Alien species Measures to counteract alien (fish) species: Approx. 1) 60 Decimation % of alien fish populations through various methods; gill-nets, traps or electrofishing. 2) Enhance legislation to prevent dispersal due to game-fish plantings. For other organisms, such as crustaceans or plants, other and relevant measures have to be considered.
Were are we today? We know a lot more than in 2004 - however an enormous amount of data have to be collected and interpreted before any relevant measures can be carried out. It is not clear how this work will be financed.
Our goal Assure good ecological and chemical status of water bodies also for future generations!