Page 37 - Freshwater-Biology-and-Ecology-Handbook

The WFD timetable required the establishment of monitoring programmes for surface waters by the end of 2006.
(13)
Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) Guidance Document 7 focuses on the monitoring requirements of the WFD
and ‘aims to guide experts and stakeholders in the design and implementation of the monitoring networks and programmes
required to meet the requirements of the WFD for all categories of waters'.

CIS Note 7 guidance sets out
(13)
that surface water monitoring

information is required for:

• classifying status
• supplementing and validating the risk assessment
procedure
• designing efficiently and effectively future monitoring
programmes
• assessing long-term changes in natural conditions.
• assessing long-term changes resulting from widespread
anthropogenic activity
• estimating pollutant loads transferred across international
boundaries or discharging into seas
• assessing changes in status of those bodies identified as
being at risk in response to the application of measures for
improvement or prevention of deterioration
• ascertaining causes of water bodies failing to achieve
environmental objectives where the reason for failure has
not been identified
• ascertaining the magnitude and impacts of accidental
pollution
• intercalibrating biological classifications
• assessing compliance with the standards and objectives
of Protected Areas
• quantifying reference conditions for surface water bodies.

2.2 Basic principles of monitoring

Translating the policy and theory into practice is crucial, Field sampling methods, quality assurance and guidance
and field methods and sample analysis provide the basic are well established for chemical monitoring and flow
information on which to base river management decisions. monitoring. However, ecological and biological monitoring
and field monitoring are relatively new. Methods have been
Collecting field information is expensive, but not as expensive developed to ensure additional quality and consistency to
as the infrastructure investment and the management and meet the needs of statutory requirements, such as the WFD.
regulatory actions that may follow. Therefore, to ensure
that cost-effective protection and improvement plans are This book describes the methods implemented in the UK.
developed, accurate and informative monitoring programmes They are generally examples of good practice. Biological
and procedures must be put in place. and ecological methods are being refined in every country
to improve their robustness, utility and practicality. In the
Field methods must be practicable, reproducible and be European Union, official methods for WFD status
flexible enough to deal with real situations under a variety of assessment are usually implemented at the beginning of
circumstances. For this reason, monitoring organisations, the 6-yearly River Basin Management Plan cycles (see
environment agencies and commercial monitoring Table 1.2). The methods described in this book should
companies have invested in operational instructions, field therefore remain current until at least 2027.
guidance and training to ensure that this is done consistently,
efficiently and effectively.

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