HEADLINES
Report of the SedNet Round-Table discussion now available!
On the 22nd and 23rd of November 2006 SedNet held a round-table discussion in Venice, Italy, entitled "Sediment Management - an Essential Part of River Basin Management Plans". The full report is now available and can be downloaded at www.sednet.org. You can also order paper copies of the report from the SedNet Secretariat
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.
Sediment is an essential, integral and dynamic part of our river basins. Where human activities interfere with sediment quantity or quality, sediment management becomes necessary. One of SedNet’s main recommendations is to integrate sustainable sediment management into the European Water Framework Directive related policy, legislation, and implementation process. This is to achieve good ecological status, or potential, and at the same time to support the well being of the European economy.
Central to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) are River Basin Management Plans, which have to be produced and published by 2009. Until now sediment related issues have played a minor role in the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) process. SedNet aims at providing scientific and user oriented input into the WFD implementation phase.
On the basis of this background, SedNet organised a 2-day Round Table Discussion (RT) under the title "Sediment management – an essential element of River Basin Management Plans". The objective was to derive generic and specific recommendations for sediment management based on experiences in selected key river basins taking into account legal requirements, needs of users and scientific advice.
The Round Table Discussion brought together delegates from European river commissions, user groups, and scientists. The river basins represented were the Danube, Douro, Elbe, Humber and Rhine.
Some of the uses discussed were aggregate dredging for the construction industry; agricultural use of grassland in floodplains; dredging for navigation purposes; drinking water supply; hydropower generation; etc.
The participants concluded that sediment management is an issue in all 5 river basins. Each river basin has specific natural characteristics, uses, history, challenges. It became evident that until now the WFD thinking is very ‘fluvial’.
Sediment quantity and quality issues are closely interrelated and can not be separated. Sediment management in terms of quality and quantity should receive due attention in River Basin Management Plans.
To develop such a plan can be challenging taking into consideration the requirements of different European and national legislation. Also EU Policies may create conflicting ambitions.
An adaptive management approach is required; there is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it has to be tailor-made to the specific situation. Estuaries are different from rivers and require adequate attention. It is important to make use of experience from other river basins and to develop common basic approaches.
There is a need for wide recognition that the current “at risk” classification within the WFD is a screening level, which should trigger spatial discrimination, further study of effects and tests of the significance of impacts. This requires an integrated thinking about rivers and transitional waters.
Also future research will be necessary. There is a need to collate available data to identify knowledge gaps and enhance understanding, linking sediment management to environmental and climate change issues.
The Round Table concluded that achieving good ecological status requires a proper attention to sediment issues, with an awareness of natural variation and differences between river basins.
The outcome of the Round Table will be used to inform River Basin Managers, key players and users, and the European Commission for the further implementation process of the WFD.
SedNet welcomes your opinions and ideas on the topics discussed. If you like to give your views you can submit a message on the SedNet Discussion Forum or alternatively send your reaction to the SedNet Secretariat
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SedNet Conference, 23-24 November 2006, Venice, Italy
“Sediment key-issues between the river and the sea”
The SedNet Round Table Discussion was followed by a conference “Sediment key-issues between the river and the sea”. We reported about this event in the December-2006 issue of SedNet E-news. The report is available here. Abstracts and slides of the oral and poster presentations can be found on www.SedNet.org.
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Next SedNet Conference: spring 2008 in Oslo, Norway
The next SedNet Conference will be organised in cooperation with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and will be held in Oslo, Norway in spring 2008. The Steering Group of SedNet will decide in June about the theme and topics of this conference. We will keep you informed!
Note: If you have any suggestions for this next SedNet conference then please send these before 15 June 2007 to the SedNet secretariat (
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) so that the Steering Group can consider to integrate your ideas into the conference program.
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EC FP7 research recommendations by SedNet
SedNet recently prepared a paper indicating sediment management knowledge gaps related to the Water Framework Directive implementation challenges. The paper also proposes a way forward to bridge these gaps through EC FP7 research activities. At 8 February 2007 this paper was presented in Brussels to Dr. Costanza Calzolari (EC DG Research) and Dr. Philippe Quevauviller (EC DG Environment), who indicated to be willing to further disseminate these recommendations to their colleagues.
SedNet proposes research activities aimed at (further) improving the understanding of the role of sediment in the functioning of the natural sediment-soil-water system in river basins with a specific focus on: 1) the relation between sediment contamination and its actual impact on the functioning of ecosystems (ecological status), and 2) the combined impact of sediment quantity and quality on the ecological status.
Furthermore, SedNet proposes research dedicated to study the effectiveness, efficacy and efficiency of measures aimed to improve the ecological status. A key question here is how to differentiate the effect of measures from natural variability, specifically over a long time frame?
The paper is available through the SedNet website at: http://www.sednet.org/component/option,com_remository/Itemid,83/func,fileinfo/id,188/
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3rd SedNet-Elsevier book published
With great pleasure we announce that the 3rd volume in the SedNet-Elsevier book series “Sustainable Management of Sediment Resources” is published. This 3rd volume – edited by Susanne Heise (email:
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) – addresses the issue of “Sediment Risk Management and Communication”. It is based on discussions that were held in the SedNet working group on "Risk Management and Communication". It analyses the current situation in Europe with regard to sediment risk management issues, draws conclusions from this analysis and offers recommendations for sustainable risk management from basin to site-specific scale.
More information on this SedNet Elsevier volume, and on how to order this and/or the other volumes, is available at: http://www.sednet.org/content/view/102/103/
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SedNet Discussion Forum
The SedNet Discussion Forum is used by members of SedNet who wish to express ideas, or like to draw your attention to specific actions etc. For instance you can read now about an initiative how to join efforts in getting sediment issues integrated in the "EU Soil Protection Directive". See Forum.
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EU Water Framework Directive
In 2006 a new Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) activity was started to discuss WFD and hydro-morphological pressures. In their last meeting the EU Water Directors endorsed 2 documents which are a result of this activity. A policy paper with the title “Focus on hydropower, navigation and flood defence activities / Recommendations for better policy integration” gives general recommendations and mentions supplementary measures for sediment transport management. A technical report “Good practice in managing the ecological impacts of hydropower schemes; flood protection works; and works designed to facilitate navigation under the Water Framework Directive” gives further details on sediment management. A third document gives some best practice examples on dredging projects.
The documents can be downloaded here.
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RISKBASE progress
RISKBASE is an EC FP6 Coordination Action (CA) project aimed to review and synthesise the outcome of EC RTD FP projects, and other major initiatives, related to integrated risk assessment-based management of the water/sediment/soil system at the river-basin scale. The synthesis will lead to the delivery of: 1) An overarching concept, generic approach and guiding principles to integrated risk based management of river basins, 2) Recommendations towards evolution and implementation of risk based management in national and community policies and towards implementation in management, and 3) A proposal for the European research agenda related to risk based management.
The 1st public General Assembly (GA), entitled “Towards Risk-Based Management of European River Basins” was successfully held in Seville, Spain at 24-26 January 2007. The GA presentations, setting the scene in risk-based management related science, policy and management issues, are publicly available through the RISKBASE website.
This 1st GA revealed a lot of lot of enthusiasm and motivation, in and OUTside the consortium, for RISKBASE. However, the GA also revealed the need for more focus, e.g. related to “risk to what?”. Therefore the RISKBASE consortium and advisory panel concluded in a meeting at 19 march 2007 to focus the “risk to what?” to risk to “goods and services provided by the soil-sediment-water ecosystem”. Furthermore it was concluded that the ‘target audience’ of RISKBASE are: river basin managers responsible for the drafting of WFD River Basin Management Plans and also stakeholders (industry, water companies, NGOs, etc).
With a more clear focus RISKBASE can now continue to further organize its activities, such as the thematic workshops. Thus we would like to draw your attention to the public, 1st thematic workshop entitled “Monitoring river pollutants: a step forward in the implementation of risk based management plans” (Case studies of Portuguese river basins). This workshop is held in Lisbon at 17 and 18 May 2007. More information on this workshop, a.o. on how to register, is here.
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European Water Conference
On 22-23 March 2007 the European Commission's Environment Directorate-General in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre, Eurostat and the European Environment Agency, organised a Eureopan Water Conference 2007. At the conference the Water Information System for Europe (WISE) was launched and Stavros Dimas, the Environment Commissioner, presented the first implementation report of the Water Framework Directive.
The conference was webstreamed: people who were unable to attend the conference in Brussels, could follow it via the internet. If you are interested to watch the conference, you can still watch it via http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/2007conference/index_en.htm. This weblink will stay active until March 2008.
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Report on the European contribution to the Fourth International Battelle Conference on Remediation of Contaminated Sediments
Battelle, a science and technology enterprise with headquarters in Columbus, Ohia, organized 3 previous conferences on "Remediation of Contaminated Sediments" in Venice (2001, 2003) and in New Orleans (2005). This year's conference, held in Savannah, Georgia, January 22-25, 2007, focused on "Efficient Assessment, Effective Management, Successful Remediation".
350 platform and poster presentations, organized into 34 sessions, filled the conference's programme. Four panel discussions addressed topics such as the "definition and demonstration of remedy effectiveness", "ecosystem- and watershed based management", "model uncertainty and decision-making and included a listening session for the next U.S. EPA report on the incidence and severity of sediment contamination in surface waters of the United States". About 700 people, mostly from the USA and Canada, joined this conference with 40 people coming from European Countries, among these a number of members of the European Sediment Research Network, SedNet.
European contributions reflected to some extent national and European sediment-related topics, above all the implications of sediment on the European Water Framework Directive and vice versa. The orientation of sediment risk management objectives, concepts and measures towards watersheds was discussed by a predominantly European panel with an international audience. In this, the importance of legislative and political frameworks that enable success became apparent. For instance, the fact that the WFD requires national authorities and those connected by a river to cooperate and develop catchment plans appears to be helping Europe innovate in the management of catchment areas.
Topics such as the use of sediment quality guidelines and risk assessments, ecosystem-based approaches to sediment management and dredged material management and remediation technologies were the focus of many European contributions. The clustering of European platform presentations in certain sessions may arise around current focuses such as the identification of "contaminated sites of national relevance" in Italy, the watershed-approach in the UK and Germany, and requirement for dredged material disposal options in UK, Norway and the Netherlands, suggesting that national incentives can drive the focus of sediment related activities.
This article was reprinted with permission from the SETAC Globe, member newsletter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), which cannot be responsible for the validity of all information presented here or for the consequences of its use. Information contained herein has not been reviewed or substantially edited and does not necessarily reflect the policy or views of SETAC. Mention of commercial or non-commercial products, services, or organizations does not imply endorsement or affiliation by SETAC.
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Notes from a big country: a perspective from western Canada
By Phil Owens, SedNet-overseas correspondent
It has been very interesting to move from Europe to British Columbia in Canada and see how sediment is evaluated and managed in a very different environment. In many respects, the Canadians have been at the forefront of sediment assessment and management. Most of us are familiar with the Canadian sediment quality guidelines developed in the 1990s by Environment Canada (www.ec.gc.ca). Equally, the work by Environment Canada and others on sediment and contaminant behaviour in the Great Lakes area has been pioneering. In British Columbia, most of the issues involving sediment relate to resource management: fish, forestry, water and minerals. In particular, there is an interest in how water and sediment respond to resource development such as timber harvesting and mineral extraction, and how in turn this influences aquatic ecology such as salmonid habitats. There is also concern about how sediment quantity and quality will respond to natural changes such as wildfires, climate change and the on-going mountain pine beetle epidemic. The latter is particular interesting, in that a recent outbreak of mountain pine beetle has affected pine trees in an area of about 100,000 km2 and there is much concern about how the environment will respond to the death of pine trees and associated salvage logging within this area (www.gov.bc.ca/pinebeetle). It is encouraging to see that stakeholder participation and environmental stewardship are seen as a necessary part of both understanding the system and of developing management plans.
For further details please contact Phil Owens (
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Publication
The NEW! Delta project balances improving the environment on the one hand and economic growth on the other. Against the background of the European Birds and habitats Directives, the NEW! Delta project seeks to foster the protection of the Natura 2000 sites as an integral part of economic port and estuary development. At the same time NEW! Delta provides opportunities for social, economic and maritime benefits.
The first report of the NEW! Delta project is now available. It deals with issues on system understanding in dredging management: Theme 6 report "Issues and System understanding". The document contains detailed information about sediments, morphodynamics, and ecology in several European estuaries.
You can download it from www.newdelta.org/navigatie/frameset.asp.
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Calls for Papers
The deadline for sending abstracts for the International Conference "EROSION AND TORRENT CONTROL AS A FACTOR IN SUSTAINABLE RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT" is postponed to April 1. 2007.
The conference will be held from 25- 28 September 2007 in Belgrade - Serbia.
For more information see www.sfb.bg.ac.yu/erosion2007
I2SM - International Symposium on Sediment Management, Lille, France. Deadline for submission of abstracts is 27 June 2007. See www.augc.asso.fr/userdoc/annoncelille.pdf.
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Upcoming events
Workshop "Changes to hydrological extremes", 11 or 12 July 2007, Perugia, Italy
The workshop is part of the IAHS scientific programme for the IUGG Assembly, which takes place on
9-13 July 2007.
Objectives of the workshop
In many countries around the world a rapid alternation of floods and droughts is observed. A common question which has been posed is whether the change in frequency of hydrological extremes is a result of global warming or lies within the natural variability of climate. For water resources management water quantity aspects were important. But a key concern is the environmental impacts of floods and droughts as a result of rapid change due to different flow conditions. The main purpose of the workshop is to bring together scientists from various fields of research (hydrologists, chemists, etc.) who have experience of interdisciplinary programmes on hydrology and water quality. Scientists who are not currently participating in large programmes but who have an experience in that scientific domain are also welcome. The workshop topics will cover several aspects (1) point sources which will influence water quality (industry, waste water treatment plants, landfills), (2) diffuse sources (agricultural areas, groundwater and sediments), (3) fate and behaviour of pollutants under extreme hydrological conditions and their impact on water quality, (4) mobilisation models for different flow conditions (risk management); (5) Indicator substances (which flow conditions trigger which substances). The workshop will provide an opportunity to closer link the water quantity with the quality community especially with respect to hydrological extremes.
Registration, abstract submission, conference details
For conference details and abstract submission information use the website: www.iugg2007perugia.it
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More upcoming events
15-20 April 2007: There are three sessions on sediment within the Hydrological Sciences programme at this years European Geosciences Union (EGU) general assembly in Vienna, Austria:
- Session HS20: Technological potential for assessing soil erosion and sediment transport in ungauged river basins
Conveners: J. Bathurst, D. Rickenmann and P. van Oevelen
- Session HS21: Harmonisation and standardisation of transboundary sediment activities
Conveners: W. Summer, P.N. Owens and W. Zhang
- Session HS24: Sediment tracing and risk assessment for sediment management
Conveners: E. Petticrew, P.N. Owens and B. Westrich
For further information and a call for abstracts, see this link.
For further details on the EGU 2007 general assembly, see:
meetings.copernicus.org/egu2007/
7-10 May 2007: 9th International In-Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium, Baltimore, MD, sponsored and organized by Battelle. Abstracts due in summer 2006. To receive the call for abstracts, request other program information, and get information about being an exhibitor or sponsor, send an e-mail to
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or call 800-783-6338.
www.battelle.org/biosymp
13-17 May 2007: Coastal Sediments 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Conference theme: Coastal Engineering and Science in Cascading Spatial and Temporal Scales. Deadline for receipt of abstracts is May 15.
www.asce.org/conferences/cs07
20-24 May 2007: European SETAC conference in Porto, Portugal.
A couple of sessions will be organised with a focus on sediments: Bioavailability of sediment and soil organic pollutants; Behaviour of polar organic contaminants in river sediments; Case studies on sediment risk and impact assessments; Methods in sediment ecotoxicology and biodiversity assessment.
More info at www.setac.org
27 May - 1 June 2007: World Dredging Conference WODCON XVIII: “GLOBAL DREDGING: IT’S IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY & THE ENVIRONMENT”. There will be several presentation on (river basin) sediment management; also SedNet will be presented.
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/ www.westerndredging.org
30 June 2007: Short course on "Contaminated Sediment Management", Venice, Italy.
The course will be held during the biannual conference of the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research, IAHR. The program of the short course can be found at www.sednet.org.
Further info: www.iahr.org
11 or 12 July 2007: Workshop "Changes to hydrological extremes", Perugia, Italy.
The workshop is part of the IAHS scientific programme for the IUGG Assembly.
More info at: www.iugg2007perugia.it
1-4 August 2007: 10th International Symposium on River Sedimentation. Moscow, Russia.
isrs10.hdro-msu.ru/en
18-20 September 2007: Conference "Water Quality of European Transboundary Rivers", Leipzig, Germany
Topics that will be addressed include: Milestones within the European Water Framework Directive; Water quality monitoring tools and data management; Ecological and chemical status of transboundary rivers; Transboundary rivers risk assessment; Hydrological Extremes and their consequences; Transnational aspects of mining industry and their landscapes
For conference details and to receive the 2nd circular of the conference, please see the website: www.ufz.de/wfd.
25-28 September 2007: International Conference "Erosion and Torrent Control as a Factor in Sustainable River Basin Management”, Belgrade – Serbia. For more information see www.sfb.bg.ac.yu/erosion2007.
15-18 October 2007: 23rd Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments and Water Analysis, Site Assessment, Fate, Environmental and Human Risk Assessment, Remediation and Regulation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. More info at www.UMassSoils.com
8-9 November 2007: CEDA Dredging Days, Conference and Exhibition Ahoy' Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Call for Papers will be issued in the fall of 2006. Contact:
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www.dredging.org
28-30 November 2007: SQA7 Conference: Harbour, Estuary, and Lake Assessment and Management, Hong Kong. Major scientific themes that will be addressed include: origin, transport and quantity of sediments; sediment management in lakes and rivers; estuary and harbour management; risk assessment of contaminated sediments; new methods and modelling of sediments in changing environment; sediment and water quality. The conference announcement can be found at www.sednet.org; there you can also find the table of contents for the upcoming special issue of Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, which contains selected manuscripts from SQA6 conference.
Further info at www.aehms.org.
Miscellaneous workshops throughout the year on Environmental Forensics, organized by the International Society of Environmental Forensics. See www.environmentalforensics.org for more info.
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Next SedNet Newsletter will be published in summer 2007.
SedNet secretariat:
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TNO Built Environment and Geosciences
Laan van Westenenk 501
P.O. Box 342
NL-7300 AH Apeldoorn
The Netherlands
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