Page 46 - Freshwater-Biology-and-Ecology-Handbook

CHAPTER 1 4.1 – 4.2 4

RIVER BASINS – WATER BODIES –

CATCHMENTS – TYPOLOGY –

SAMPLING LOCATIONS

These are the key hydrological and geographical elements of river

basin management. Understanding of the issues within a river basin
is essential to the integrated management of these complex systems.

4.1 River basins

River basins comprise rivers, lakes, groundwaters, influence waters at the bottom. We have often seen over-
transitional (ie estuarine) and coastal waters draining to abstraction or pollution in the headwaters of rivers impacting
a single river mouth. These are known in WFD as water on downstream users.
categories. A stylised river basin is shown in Figure 1.7.
The river basin planning and monitoring systems must be
River basin districts are the main units for managing water designed to ensure the heath of the river basin as a whole.
resources. The WFD is based on the recognition that In the case of transboundary rivers that cross national
decisions taken in one part of a river cannot be taken in boundaries, two or more Member States have to share river
isolation, as actions taken at the top of a water catchment basin management plans.

condensation river

rainfall
transpiration

evaporation

sea
saturated zone

groundwater flow

Figure 1.7
River Basin and the water cycle. Source - Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), 2002, Future for Scotland’s Waters (11)

46 | Freshwater Biology and Ecology Handbook
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