THE ASSESSMENT OF HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL STATUS OF ROMANIAN RIVERS

• Main Authors: TECUCI I., MOLDOVEANU MARINELA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cluj University Press 2014-03-01
• Series: Aerul şi Apa: Componente ale Mediului
• Subjects: ecological status; ecological potential; hydromorphological indicators
• Online Access: http://aerapa.conference.ubbcluj.ro/2014/PDF/11-Tecuci_Moldoveanu.pdf

The quality protection and improvement of the aquatic ecosystems and achievement of "good status" for all water bodies until 2015, involved integration of key ecosystem principles into water policies and a series of new management elements. Thus, the "health" status of aquatic ecosystems is a new objective for European water policy which is reflected in the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems, being defined by the biological, morphological and physico-chemical quality components as well as the presence of specific pollutants (synthetic and non-synthetic). In order to achieve good ecological status / good ecological potential for all water bodies (rivers) of Romania, the paper presents an innovative approach regarding monitoring of hydromorphological quality component and its integration in the assessment of ecological status of water bodies. In this approach the river system is seen in the context of stream corridor as a complex of ecosystems which includes not only the river, but also the riparian zone with the species of plants and animals that inhabit this space. The river corridor is responsible for shaping the river bad, retaining the water and sediments, and also constitutes the support for creating a variety of habitats / microhabitats for communities of aquatic organisms underlying the assessment of ecological status of rivers. In this context, the paper presents hydromorphological indicators set identified in accordance with the requirements of the WFD and a hydromorphological classification system of rivers in five quality classes which should represent a scientific basis for the water monitoring and evaluation system and assists in a judicious way the decision makers to improve water quality in Romania.