Keywords
water framework directive, water resource management, pressures, hydrological modelling
Start Date
1-7-2004 12:00 AM
Abstract
The implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), requires Water Resource Managers to characterise and assess the status of surface water bodies and apply management practices in order to achieve Good Ecological Status (GES), at a national scale. GES is assessed by considering the biological, hydromorphological and physico-chemical characteristics of a water body. There is a need for a suite of tools which will aid in carrying out this assessment quickly and reliably at a large number of sites. Low Flows 2000 (LF2000), combines aquatic environmental and hydrological models within a user-friendly GIS interface. The software can be used to estimate both the natural statistical properties of river flow and the influenced statistical properties, through the integration of water use pressures relating to abstractions, discharges and flow regulation, at any point within a river system without recourse to calibration. By combining this functionality with a measure of the aquatic ecological sensitivity to water use pressures LF2000 is being used operationally by the statutory UK Environmental regulators to support the initial characterisation of water use pressures on surface water bodies under the WFD.This paper will discuss how LF2000 is being used in this context and concludes with a look to the future. A summary of a prototype water quality modelling extension to LF2000 that has been developed will be presented alongside the planned implementation of generalised rainfall runoff models. This will illustrate how LF2000 will provide a suite of tools which can contribute to both initial and further characterisation under the WFD and prioritisation of a programme of measures.
The Utility of GIS Delivered Environment Models in the Characterisation of Surface Water Bodies under the Water Framework Directive Low Flows 2000 – a Case Study.
The implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), requires Water Resource Managers to characterise and assess the status of surface water bodies and apply management practices in order to achieve Good Ecological Status (GES), at a national scale. GES is assessed by considering the biological, hydromorphological and physico-chemical characteristics of a water body. There is a need for a suite of tools which will aid in carrying out this assessment quickly and reliably at a large number of sites. Low Flows 2000 (LF2000), combines aquatic environmental and hydrological models within a user-friendly GIS interface. The software can be used to estimate both the natural statistical properties of river flow and the influenced statistical properties, through the integration of water use pressures relating to abstractions, discharges and flow regulation, at any point within a river system without recourse to calibration. By combining this functionality with a measure of the aquatic ecological sensitivity to water use pressures LF2000 is being used operationally by the statutory UK Environmental regulators to support the initial characterisation of water use pressures on surface water bodies under the WFD.This paper will discuss how LF2000 is being used in this context and concludes with a look to the future. A summary of a prototype water quality modelling extension to LF2000 that has been developed will be presented alongside the planned implementation of generalised rainfall runoff models. This will illustrate how LF2000 will provide a suite of tools which can contribute to both initial and further characterisation under the WFD and prioritisation of a programme of measures.
