1. GEP vs. GES

2. GEP and GES - they both rely on BQEs to assess the impact of hymo pressures
BENTHIC FLORA
BENTHIC FAUNA
MACROPHYTES
FISH

3. Key questions HMWB designation HMWB classification
Criteria used to decide whether water body < good status as a result of alterations to hydromorphological characteristics
Spatial scale
HMWB classification
Use of BQE’s, definition of class boundaries
Same methods as for natural waters? Included in intercalibration exercise?
CIS and Prague approach – are they comparable in terms of their classfication outcome?
 Not specific for water storage, need for common approach across use groups

4. E-flows are part of the problem…
For finally designation of HMWB for water bodies affected by water storage, good ecological status (GES) should not be possible to reach
From CIS guidance on Eflows; "Definition of ecological flow and identification of the necessary measures to deliver it and achieve GES should, where hydrology is significantly altered, be considered as part of the designation test for HMWB and justify that these measures cannot be taken.
Ecological flows are defined as “a hydrological regime consistent with the achievement of the environmental objectives of the WFD in natural surface water bodies as mentioned in Article 4(1).

5. CIS/ECOSTAT hymo workshop 2012
which quality elements are considered most sensitive to which types of hydromorphological alteration?
which indicators of the quality elements are used to detect the hydromorphological alterations?
Answers from a limited number of MS

6. CIS/ECOSTAT hymo workshop 2012

7. CIS/ECOSTAT hymo workshop 2012

8. Gothenburg workshop quesionnaire

9. 1 - Criteria to decide whether WB < GS
Gothenburg workshop
1 - Criteria to decide whether WB < GS
almost all use morphological assessment
2 out of 3 MS use hydrological assessment
Only half use biological assessment

10. Gothenburg workshop 2 - BQEs used
Most used: Fish, Invertebrates, Macrophytes
Less used: phytobenthos
Not used: phytoplankton

11. Section E of current template
E. GEP vs GES
Country
Uncommonly but likely in a notable proportion of cases
Only very rarely
Yes, affected by starting point e.g. exsisting licence conditions, residual flow etc
Don't know - too early to say
Do you have water bodies affected by water storage reaching or nearly reaching good ecological status (GES)? 3 2 1 8

12. GEP vs GES – way forward
Previous questionnaires on the use of BQEs did not include all relevant issues, limited number of MS
Need to update and supplement the information
Not specific for use (?)
Proposed solution: include in template of Flood protection/drainage group
Need for information exchange on hymo and ecological classification
Taking into account new scientific insights (e.g. REFORM project)
ECOSTAT workshop planned autumn 2015