The EU Water Framework Directive requires the achievement of Good Ecological Potential (GEP) for the highly modified and artificial water bodies, as an equivalent of the Good Ecological Status (GES) for the natural waters. The implementation of river basin management plans (RBMPs) requires also ensuring the environmental flow in the rivers, affected by commercial water abstraction and protection of the aquatic and water-dependant habitats and species.
In this context, the River Basin Directorate – Plovdiv entrusted a specific assignment for an assessment and optimizing the operation of three pilot dams to a consortium of Ecosystem V2 and the Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture - Plovdiv.
The service included monitoring and assessment of the water quality elements and water uses in three dams, which belong to different classification types - Kardzhali, Topolnitsa and Lenovo. The outcomes include a proposal for a common approach to the assessment of the pressures from water abstraction and recommendations for optimized dam operation in Eastern Aegean River Basin.
Optimized management of the dams for the achievement of Good Ecological Potential and environmental flow of the rivers
