7.2 The State of Freshwaters in the European Union: A Snapshot
75
wastewater treatment, reduced volumes of industrial effluents, decrease in the use of
fertilisers, reduced or banned phosphate content in detergents, as well as declining
atmospheric emissions. The successful implementation of the EU’s water legislation, especially those relating to urban waste water (see Sect. 8.3.3), has resulted in
reduced point discharges of nutrients and organic pollution into freshwaters. Nevertheless, discharges from wastewater treatment plants and industries and the overflow
of wastewater from sewage systems still cause significant pollution: 22% of water
bodies are still exposed to high point sources pollution. Despite some progress in
reducing agricultural inputs of pollutants, diffuse pollution from agriculture is a major
pressure in more than 40% of the EU’s rivers and coastal waters as well as in 30%
of in lakes and transitional waters (EEA 2012a).
This means that more than half of surface water bodies in the European Union are
reported to be below good ecological status or good ecological potential (for heavily
modified or artificial water bodies) under applicable EU legislation (see Sect. 8.3.3).
Rivers are generally in a worse ecological status than lakes. The most polluted water
bodies can be found in central and north-western Europe, corresponding to high
population densities and intensive agricultural practices with massive fertiliser input
and nitrate concentration. As for groundwater, despite important improvements with
regards to some major sources of pollution, around 25% of the EU’s groundwater bodies are still of poor chemical status. Excessive levels of nitrates are the most
frequent cause of poor groundwater status across much of the European Union (EEA
2012a).
7.2.3 Hydromorphology
European water bodies have been modified for centuries for a variety of objectives
such as irrigation, hydropower, navigation, flood protection or urban development.
Such modifications can take a multitude of forms such as straightening and canalisation, disconnection of floodplains, land reclamation, dams, reservoirs, bank reinforcement, etc. All of them, however, result in some sort of damage to the natural
morphology and hydrology of the water bodies concerned. The extent of such damage
has been such that today hydromorphological changes and altered habitats constitute
the most commonly occurring pressure in EU surface waters, affecting around 40%
of rivers and 30% of lakes (EEA 2012a).
Particularly significant are the interventions that regulate water flow or water
level. The seasonal or daily flow regimes of a large number of European rivers have
been altered in a major way. Most common modifications have taken place through
impoundments (there are hundreds of thousands of barriers and transverse structures
in European rivers), abstractions, drainage return flows, etc. The various artificial
morphological changes in natural surface water bodies result in altered sediment
movements that, again, affect their ecological status as well as impair critical human
uses (e.g. siltation of reservoirs and navigable waterways) (EEA 2012a). Given the
75
wastewater treatment, reduced volumes of industrial effluents, decrease in the use of
fertilisers, reduced or banned phosphate content in detergents, as well as declining
atmospheric emissions. The successful implementation of the EU’s water legislation, especially those relating to urban waste water (see Sect. 8.3.3), has resulted in
reduced point discharges of nutrients and organic pollution into freshwaters. Nevertheless, discharges from wastewater treatment plants and industries and the overflow
of wastewater from sewage systems still cause significant pollution: 22% of water
bodies are still exposed to high point sources pollution. Despite some progress in
reducing agricultural inputs of pollutants, diffuse pollution from agriculture is a major
pressure in more than 40% of the EU’s rivers and coastal waters as well as in 30%
of in lakes and transitional waters (EEA 2012a).
This means that more than half of surface water bodies in the European Union are
reported to be below good ecological status or good ecological potential (for heavily
modified or artificial water bodies) under applicable EU legislation (see Sect. 8.3.3).
Rivers are generally in a worse ecological status than lakes. The most polluted water
bodies can be found in central and north-western Europe, corresponding to high
population densities and intensive agricultural practices with massive fertiliser input
and nitrate concentration. As for groundwater, despite important improvements with
regards to some major sources of pollution, around 25% of the EU’s groundwater bodies are still of poor chemical status. Excessive levels of nitrates are the most
frequent cause of poor groundwater status across much of the European Union (EEA
2012a).
7.2.3 Hydromorphology
European water bodies have been modified for centuries for a variety of objectives
such as irrigation, hydropower, navigation, flood protection or urban development.
Such modifications can take a multitude of forms such as straightening and canalisation, disconnection of floodplains, land reclamation, dams, reservoirs, bank reinforcement, etc. All of them, however, result in some sort of damage to the natural
morphology and hydrology of the water bodies concerned. The extent of such damage
has been such that today hydromorphological changes and altered habitats constitute
the most commonly occurring pressure in EU surface waters, affecting around 40%
of rivers and 30% of lakes (EEA 2012a).
Particularly significant are the interventions that regulate water flow or water
level. The seasonal or daily flow regimes of a large number of European rivers have
been altered in a major way. Most common modifications have taken place through
impoundments (there are hundreds of thousands of barriers and transverse structures
in European rivers), abstractions, drainage return flows, etc. The various artificial
morphological changes in natural surface water bodies result in altered sediment
movements that, again, affect their ecological status as well as impair critical human
uses (e.g. siltation of reservoirs and navigable waterways) (EEA 2012a). Given the