24 Hour Freephone Water Pollution Hotline - 0800 807060 Risk Assessment Refinement Use field data to refine Article 5 risk assessment pressure thresholds

24 Hour Freephone Water Pollution Hotline - 0800 807060

Risk Assessment Refinement

Use field data to refine Article 5 risk assessment pressure thresholds

Aerial ImageryCapture and Processing

Derive Channel TypologiesDevelop Remote Sensing Methods

Fieldwork Contracts 2006 and 2007Morphology and Biology Field Data

Programmes of Measures

Populate a morphology database

Developing the Morphological Assessment Process

RISK

ASSESSMENT

CLASSIFICATION & MONITORING

PoMS STUDY

Decision Support Tool


Classification and Monitoring

Rapid Assessment Technique

Mary TolandWater Management Unit


AVAILABLE METHODS• River Habitat Survey – developed by the

EA (early 1990s) –not designed for WFD• MImAS – developed by SNIFFER (2005)

and currently used by SEPA for regulation-pressures

• RAT – developed by NSSHARE project (2005) –deviation from natural for classification NOT regulation

• CEN hydromorphology standard –not signed off yet


Surveys were carried out by NSSHARE using RAT and MImAS


Hydromorphology scores from MImAS, RAT and expert opinion were compared for river sites in ecoregion 17


Outcome Report showed 60% agreement between RAT and MImAS and 60% agreement

between RAT and Expert opinion


Comparison study with Draft CEN standard on River

HydromorphologyResults from CEN and RAT assessments matched in 50% of cases and were within one class for a further 40% of sites


Chosen method for monitoring and classification

RAT was agreed by experts in ROI and NI to be:-

• Cost effective• User friendly• Flexible• Easy to use and Rapid• Fit for purpose – WFD monitoring and

classification


Next StepsRAT refinement

• Method refined during 2007 season• Feature descriptions developed• Methods for quantifying features refined• Tick boxes added for recording artificial

features• More user friendly and quality controlled


Refinement was carried out in line with the CEN standard

starting with the ecology


BANK VEGETATIONSite visits were made with

ecologists from Water Management Unit and

Natural Heritage to define the quality of bank and

riparian land cover


Alien or invasive Bank vegetation?

Rhododendron Sycamore


IN CHANNEL VEGETATION

The abundance and types of macrophytes expected for different river types was

defined with assistance from colleagues in EHS, Natural

Heritage and UK’s Nigel Holmes


Surveyors need to recognize alien species in channel and pollution indicator species.

The broad types and abundance of vegetation

present should be compared with those expected for the

river type


Site visits were made with Rivers Agency to identify

maintenance workand establish floodplain information available. It was established some

resectioning carried out in the 1940’s still presents as

sheer river banks with little or no plant growth


Stream types refined

After consultation between EPA and EHS anastomosing and braided wandering stream types were removed from the RAT form. Other stream types such as calcareous can be added if required.


Hydrology is important for all aquatic ecology

A whole water body approach is required with structures

causing a barrier to longitudinal flow scored for RAT


Contiguous surveys are underway to determine survey length required to

classify a water body

F10458


What’s needed now

• RAT form and survey method to be refined with surveyors – Castlebar 30th April 2008

• Establish how many sites per water body are required for classification – contiguous surveys underway

• Water body desk top study defined using GIS and hydro-morphology database established

• Training Manual – being developed• Training course and surveyor accreditation –

To be arranged


Any Questions or feedback?

[email protected]

Documents

24 Hour Freephone Water Pollution Hotline - 0800 807060 Risk Assessment Refinement Use field data to refine Article 5 risk assessment pressure thresholds