Working Group 2.2 Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWB)

Progress report for the Strategic Co-ordination Group
of 11 March 2002

Doc. No.:[will by given by WFD Team]Status: 23.02.2002

Author:Martin Marsden, David Forrow, Ulrich Irmer

Working Group 2.2 "Heavily Modified Water Bodies" (HMWB)

1.Key activities, meetings, progress:

The Water Framework Directive allows Member States to identify surface water bodies which have been physically altered by human activity as heavily modified under specific circumstances. Where the uses of such water bodies (i.e. navigation, hydropower, water supply or flood defence) would be significantly affected by the mitigation measures required to achieve good ecological status and if no other better environmental options exist, then good ecological potential is set as an environmental objective.

The project is jointly managed by the UK and Germany and involves the participation of 12 Member States (MS) and Norway. There are two distinct “sub projects”:

case study projects in participating MS;
synthesis of the case study reports and draft guidance.

Three meetings have been organized involving the MS representatives, case study project managers and the European Commission on 12th April and 10th October 2000 and on 4th September 2001. These meetings have provided several working papers for the case studies which cover the key aspects of the HMWB designation process. In addition, a standard reporting template for the case studies has been produced. Further four meetings and an e-mail conference have been held by subgroups looking at hydropower and navigation case studies.

Case Study Projects

The case studies include the description of the physical changes and resultant ecological impacts; provisional identification of HMWB; undertaking designation tests and definition of ecological reference conditions (maximum ecological potential) and objectives (good ecological potential). Case study projects started in October 2000 and focus on the main pressures resulting in physical modifications (navigation, flood/coastal protection, hydropower generation, agriculture and water supply) across the MS. There are 32 case studies which had to be completed by 15th February 2002.

European Synthesis Project

This project will perform an analysis of the case-studies and produce a synthesis of approaches taken in the individual case-studies, which identifies commonality and differences in approach. The analysis was started in February 2002. The synthesis report will form the basis of the production of guidance and will provide examples of how the designation process should work.

A two day workshop is planned in May 2002. The intention of this event is to contribute to the final development of the synthesis report and to support the process of producing guidance. The guidance will be finalised at a HMWB working group meeting in June.

Timetable

1)Synthesis report circulated to HMWB WG, COM 15 May 2002

and WG leaders 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7

2)1 draft guidance circulated to HMWB WG, COM 15 May 2002

and WG leaders 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7

3)HMWB workshop; Participants: HMWB WG, COM 30/31 May 2002

and WG leaders/members 2.1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7 (Berlin)

4)2 draft guidance circulated to HMWB WG and COM 11 June 2002

5)4 HMWB WG meeting 18/19 June 2002

(Brussels)

6)Final version of guidance and synthesis report 31 August 2002

2.Status of deliverables for 2002:

1)Water Directors' meeting June: Draft synthesis report will be delivered by 15.05.02

2) Water Directors' meeting December: Final guidance will be delivered by 31.08.02

3.Expected progress until next SCG meeting:

Continuing preparation synthesis report and guidance

4.Links with other Working Groups:

1)CIS WG 2.1: HMBW first draft guidance will be delivered by 15 May 2002; process of provisionally identification of heavily modified water bodies can be used as part of IMPRESS guidance allocating hydromorphological pressures.

2)CIS WG 2.3: HMBW case studies have used their own biological assessment, water body identification and definition of reference conditions (MEP). Open questions should be addressed to HMBW workshop in May.

3)CIS WG 2.4: refer (2)

4)CIS WG 2.5: A joint intercalibration/HMBW paper focussing on the need of intercalibration exercise of HMBWs' is in preparation.

5)CIS WG 2.6: A joint HMBW/WATECO paper has been prepared (HMWB paper 8). HMWB WG contributes a session on WATECO Lille conference in March 2002.

6)CIS WG 2.7: Open questions should be addressed to HMWB workshop in May.