SSH EN 15843:2010

Water quality - Guidance standard on determining the degree of modification of river hydromorphology

Scope

This European Standard provides guidance on characterizing the modifications of river hydromorphological features described in EN 14614. Both standards focus more on morphology than on hydrology and continuity, and on lateral and longitudinal continuity rather than on vertical continuity which is difficult to measure. This standard will enable consistent comparisons of hydromorphology between rivers within a country and between different countries in Europe, providing a method for broad based characterization across a wide spectrum of hydromorphological modification of river channels, banks, riparian zones and floodplains. Its primary aim is to assess "departure from naturalness" as a result of human pressures on river hydromorphology, and it suggests suitable sources of information (see Table A.1) which may contribute to characterizing the modification of hydromorphological features.
In doing so, it does not replace methods that have been developed for local assessment and reporting. Decisions on river management for individual reaches or catchments require expert local knowledge and vary according to river type.