River rehabilitation in the Netherlands: perspectives of the European Water Framework Directive

Hugo Coops RIZA, the Netherlands

12 J anuary 2004

The Netherlands
River Rhine

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River Meuse

Rhine catchment

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Length 1320 km Catchment basin 185 000 km2, (25 000 km2 in the Netherlands) Discharge (Lobith): 2300 m3/s (620 11 885 m3/s) Nine countries: CH, FL, I, A, D, F, LUX, B, NL Population 50 million Major navigation route

Navigation

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The Rhine: a heavily modified river

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Pollution of the Rhine

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1970 1980: sewer of Europe 1986 Sandoz accident Rhine Action Programme: return of the salmon?

Successful sanitation: oxygen

160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1954 %

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Oxygen concentration
at Lobith

1965

1976

1987

1998

2009

Successful sanitation: phosphorus

2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 mg/l 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 1968

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Phosphorus concentration
Rhine at Lobith

1973

1979

1984

1990

1995

2001

2006

Successful sanitation: cadmium

14 12 10 8 ug/l 6 4 2 0 1968

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Cadmium concentration
Rhine at Lobith

1973

1979

1984

1990

1995

2001

2006

Alien invaders
Corophium curvispinum

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Dreissena polymorph Corbicula fluminea

Jaera istri

Ecosystem of the Lower Rhine: characteristic ecotopes in forelands

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Secondary channel

Backwaters

Floodplain forest

Grassy levees

Floodplain forest

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Natural vegetation in flooplains High nature values Effects on geomorphology Role in bank protection Effects on river discharge

Floodplain forest: wave attenuation

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Water bodies in Rhine forelands

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Oxbow lake

Sand mining pit

Clay pit

Inundated foreland

Ecotopes
Reference state Target state: ecotope objectives Present state: ecotope map

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Reference state
Geographical reference Historical reference Theoretical reference

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Danube Delta trophic gradients project

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Large, semi-pristine delta/floodplain Gradient of hydrological connectivity Ecosystem functioning and impact of eutrophic river water Three lake types Seasonal trends in flood pulse, algal and vegetation succession, and fish migration

Lake types of the Danube Delta

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Type 2

Type 1

Type 3

Lake classification

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River Concepts

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River Continuum Concept (Vannote et al. 1980) Flood Pulse Concept (J unk et al. 1989)

River Continuum Concept

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Processing of organic matter in downstream direction Dominance of shredders >grazers > >collectors Longitudinal gradient

Flood Pulse Concept

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River floodplain interaction Inundation cycle drives biogeochemical processes Relocation of organic matter and biota Transversal gradients

Hydrological connectivity
Longitudinal, transversal, vertical Flood pulse vs. Flow pulse

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Connectivity gradients: biodiversity

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Danube Delta: annual flood pulse

14000 12000 10000 8000
1995

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discharge (m3.s-1)
1991 1994 1996 1997

Danub e

6000 4000 2000 0 30-mei 27-sep 27-okt 29-jul 28-aug 26-nov 26-dec 31-jan 30-apr 31-mrt 29-jun 1-mrt 1-jan
1990 1993 1992

date

Connectivity gradient: Danube Delta

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Type 2

Type 1

Type 3

Seasonal fish migration: tench

2001 Tench Tinca tinca 2002
L.Cuibul cu Lebede

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L.Cuibul cu Lebede

L.Isac

L.Isac

L.Chiril L.Uzlina L.Uzlina L.Chiril

Exchange between lakes - different by hydrology

June September

Lower Rhine: extreme variability

12000 11000 10000 9000 8000 2 7000 6000 5000 20 50 4000 3000 discharge (m3.s-1) Rhine

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150 2000 1000 0 1jan 31jan 1mrt 31mrt 30apr 30mei 29jun date 29jul 28aug 27sep 27okt 26nov 26dec

Connectivity for fish: barbel nursery grounds

Germany The Netherlands
Spawning on gravel banks Larvae drift downstream

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Temporal residence in side channels

? ?

Connectivity Gradients: Lower Rhine forelands

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Aquatic macrophytes in floodplain lakes along the Rhine

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 - 10 10 - 50 50 - 100 100 - 200 200 - 300 > 300

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Frequency

Age of the lakes (years)

90 80 70

Frequency

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 <2 2 - 20 20 - 50 50 - 150 > 150

Long-term inundation duration (days/year)

Extreme floods 1994 and 1995

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Impact on river management Effects of climate change Reconsidering target state

Target state: compromising river functions

Hydraulic roughness of ecotopes Spatial arrangement

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Critical water levels

Retain Store - Discharge

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Measures in the Lower Rhine

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Side channels

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Floodplain lowering

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Detention reservoirs

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EU Water Framework Directive (1)

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Harmonised legislation of EU member states All water bodies should have the Good Ecological Status by 2015 Classification of water bodies: - natural - heavily modified - artificial Idendification of stressors Assessment of ecological quality elements Standardisation of monitoring Measures to achieve GES

EU Water Framework Directive (2)

Assessment: EQR (Fish, Macro-invertebrates, Phytoplankton, Macrophytes & phytobenthos

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Reference condition

Bad

Poor

Moderate

Good

Very good

Related research projects: - STAR (standardisation of river classifications) - FAME (assessment based on fish) - CEN (standards for monitoring)

Rehabilitation stages

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1. Chemical rehabilitation (Reduction of pollutants, recovery of biota in the river channel) 2. Morphological rehabilitation (Reconnection of the floodplain, enhanced geomorphological dynamics, recovery of floodplain biota) 3. Hydrological rehabilitation (Restoring natural flood pulse, recovery of transgressive biota)

Economic drivers of rehabilitation

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