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Barriers, obstacles and transverse structures - examples of measures to make barriers passable

More than half (53%) of the water bodies impacted by hydromorphological pressures are affected by physical structures which impact longitudinal continuity (barriers, dams, locks). Barriers are mainly used for hydropower, flood protection and irrigation purposes. However, for the majority of barriers reported in the second RBMPs, the driver or water use served by the barrier is unknown or even obsolete.

There are several hundred thousand barriers and transverse structures in European rivers. Some of them are large dams for hydropower production or irrigation storage reservoirs, but the majority are smaller obstacles. Obstacles in rivers cause disturbances and have impacts on river continuity, which vary according to the height of the barrier and location. A major impact on a river could be caused by a single, very damaging structure or by the accumulated effects throughout the length of the river of a series of small structures, which may have only a small impact individually.

Several European river basins have master plans or conservation plans for restoring the population of threatened fish species and restoring river continuity. These plans are often the basis for the RBMP measures against obstacles and transverse structures. Table 6.4 illustrates examples of measures implemented during recent years (first RBMP cycle).

Table 6.4: Examples of measures on making barriers passable.

River basin district or country	Measures
Rhine iRBD	480 measures aimed at improving river continuity have been implemented from 2000 to 2012 (ICPR 2015).
Danube iRBD	More than 120 fish migration aids have been constructed, whereas 667 barriers remain unpassable out of a total 1,030 barriers (2009-2015 - ICPDR 2015).
Elbe iRBD	Continuity are completed for 60 locations and planned for 88 locations for the priority network in the iRBD (2009-2015 - ICPE 2015).
France, Rhône RBD	208 out of 788 priority barriers have been made passable (2010-2015 - Rhône RBD 2016).
France, Seine RBD	254 out of 5474 barriers have measures to improve river continuity implemented (2013-2015 - Seine RBD 2016)
Austria	More than 1000 barriers were made passable for fish (2009-2015 - Austria national RBMP 2015)
The Netherlands	Around 600 barriers have been made passable from 2008 to 2015 (Kroes et al. 2015)
UK, England-Wales	229 obstructions across England and Wales have been made passable. (2009-2014 - Nasco.int, 2015 papers)
UK – Scotland RBD	Fish access to 70 water bodies secured by the removal of barriers to fish migration – out of 306 water bodies impacted by migration barriers (2009-2015 - Scotland RBMP)

Source ICPR: River basin management plan 2015. Available at http://www.iksr.org/en/water-framework-directive/river-basin-management-plan-2015/index.html – Section 7.1.1 Restoration of biological river continuity, increase of habitat diversity.

ICPDR 2015; http://www.icpdr.org/main/activities-projects/river-basin-management-plan-update-2015

Rhône Mediterranée district 2016: Tableau de bord adopté par le comité de bassin du 27/05/2016. http://www.rhone-mediterranee.eaufrance.fr/gestion/sdage2016/tableau-de-bord.php

ICPE 2015: Aktualisierung des Bewirtschaftungsplans nach Art. 13 WRRL. https://www.fgg-elbe.de/berichte/aktualisierung-nach-art-13.html

Seine RBMP 2016: Tableau de bord http://www.eau-seine-normandie.fr/mediatheque/Dossier_partage/INSTITUTIONNEL/SDAGE_2016_2021/TdB_SDAGE_2016_CB-4.2_big.pdf

Austria national RBMP 2015: https://www.bmlfuw.gv.at/wasser/wisa/fachinformation/ngp/ngp-2015/text/textdokument_ngp2015.html

Kroes et al. 2015: Fish Migration Possibilities in the Netherlands; State of the Art (Barriers, Solutions, Monitoring). http://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2015/June24/25

UK, England-Wales http://www.nasco.int/pdf/2015%20papers/CNL_15_43.pdf

Scotland 2^nd RBMP: https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/river-basin-management-planning/the-current-plans/

Previous comments

voet (Jan Hendrik Voet) 26 Feb 2018 16:16:10

BE-FLA: p. 67 More than half (53%) of the water bodies impacted by hydromorphological pressures are affected by physical structures which impact longitudinal continuity (barriers, dams, locks).

53%: p. 32: 26%+24%+x%

HYMO pressures: p. 31: 40%
Martin Schönberg (invited by kristpet (disabled)) 27 Feb 2018 13:20:28
"More than half (53%) of the water bodies impacted by hydromorphological pressures are affected by physical structures which impact longitudinal continuity (barriers, dams, locks). Barriers are mainly used for hydropower, flood protection and irrigation purposes. However, for the majority of barriers reported in the second RBMPs, the driver or water use served by the barrier is unknown or even."
- We think that this is a strong assertion, therefore evidence should be given.
- Most barriers are in fact multi-purpose facilities. Originally, many barriers were built for flood protection. Their multi-purpose-use (for irrigation, navigation and other infrastructure or hydroelectrical generation) has been added afterwards.
Martin Schönberg (invited by kristpet (disabled)) 27 Feb 2018 13:20:38
"More than half (53%) of the water bodies impacted by hydromorphological pressures are affected by physical structures which impact longitudinal continuity (barriers, dams, locks). Barriers are mainly used for hydropower, flood protection and irrigation purposes. However, for the majority of barriers reported in the second RBMPs, the driver or water use served by the barrier is unknown or even."
- We think that is a strong assertion, therefore evidence should be given.
- Most barriers are in fact multi-purpose facilities. Originally, many barriers were built for flood protection. Their multi-purpose-use (for irrigation, navigation and other infrastructure or hydroelectrical generation) has been added afterwards.
Martin Schönberg (invited by kristpet (disabled)) 27 Feb 2018 13:23:02

"A major impact on a river could be caused by a single, very damaging structure or by the accumulated effects throughout the length of the river of a series of small structures, which may have only a small impact individually."

The sentence "a major impact..." sounds like having no profound knowledge base. Effects of obstacles have to be evaluated on a site-by-site basis and, therefore, such a general statement cannot be given. It is proposed to delete the sentence.
Martin Schönberg (invited by kristpet (disabled)) 27 Feb 2018 13:23:40

"Several European river basins have master plans or conservation plans for restoring the population of threatened fish species and restoring river continuity. These plans are often the basis for the RBMP measures against obstacles and transverse structures. Table 6.4 illustrates examples of measures implemented during recent years (first RBMP cycle)."

Not only threatened fish is at focus of implementation plans/measures. All migrating fish species in a certain river stretch determine the need for site-specific solutions. However, the protection of threatened fish is not duty of the WFD. Proposal: "migrating" fish instead of "threatened"

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