Post a comment on the text below

 A heavily modified water body (HMWB) refers to a body of surface water that as a result of physical alteration by human activity is substantially changed in character. A surface water body is considered as artificial (AWB) when created by human activity. According to WFD Article 2 and 4(3), EU MS may designate a body of surface water as artificial or heavily modified, when:

• ·         its hydromorphological characteristics have substantially changed so that good ecological status cannot be achieved and ensured;
• ·         the changes needed to the hydromorphological characteristics to achieve good ecological status would have a significant adverse effect on the wider environment or specific uses;
• ·         the beneficial objectives served by the artificial or modified characteristics of the water bodyreasonably cannot be achieved by a better environmental option, which is:
  • technical feasible and/or
  • not disproportionate costly.