Assessment of the river habitat quality within European Water Framework Directive: Application to different catchments in Czechia

Abstract

The paper presents the method of ecomorphological assessment of river habitat quality EcoRivHab, based on field mapping with possible usage of distance data. EcoRivHab is a tool used to assess the state of streams which lays an emphasis on hydromorphological characteristics of channel, ecohydrological state of the riparian belt and flood plain. Definition of the local reference state of the river habitat in the given physiographic region serves as a precondition. Overall ecohydrological state is evaluated by five degrees (ES I-V), characterizing the state of the watercourse in the context of the EC Water Framework Directive. The goal of this research was to assess the ecohydromorphological state of selected catchments in Czechia, representing varied relief types, and at the same, representing landscape with differing degrees of anthropogenic impact.