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Standards Development
This European Standard is applicable to lakes, which are water bodies occupying one or more
basins with surface areas greater than 1 ha (0,01 km2) and maximum depths (at mean water
level) greater than 1 m. All types of permanent lakes, including natural, modified and artificial,
fresh water and brackish, except for those systems which regularly connect to the sea, are
included in this European Standard, though canals are excluded.
Based on these criteria, it can be estimated that there are at least 500 000 natural lakes across
Europe, most of which are located in the glaciated landscapes in northern and western provinces
and in Scandinavia. Lakeland districts also occur locally in areas such as the Danubian plain and
around the Alps. Elsewhere, naturally occurring lakes are relatively sparse and in such areas
reservoirs or pits are more common.
This European Standard is designed to:
a) support environmental and conservation agencies in meeting the monitoring
requirements of the WFD (Article 8, Annex II and Annex V);
b) generate data sets appropriate for monitoring and reporting of Natura 2000 sites
designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive;
c) provide information supporting other environmental reporting requirements (e.g. in relation to biodiversity or environmental impact assessment);
d) support lake management and restoration initiatives.
This European Standard:
a) defines the key term of ‘hydromorphology’ and other terms relating to the physical
characteristics of lakes and their hydrological regimes;
b) details essential features and processes of lakes that should be characterised as part of
a hydromorphological survey and for determining the hydromorphological condition of a lake;
c) identifies and defines the key pressures affecting European lakes;
d) provides guidance on strategies for collecting hydromorphological data depending on
resources available and the anticipated use of the assessment; a hierarchy of approaches is
recognised from the ‘overview method’ utilising existing databases, maps and remote sensing
data through to recognised field-based survey techniques such as Lake Habitat Survey (LHS);
e) offers guidance on data presentation;
f) establishes guidance on data quality assurance issues.
This European Standard does not deal with biological assessments in lakes such as the
presence or absence of individual species or community composition, nor does it attempt to link
specific hydromorphological features with their associated biological communities or to create a
classification based on such links. However, it is relevant where plants or other organisms form
significant structural elements of the habitat (e.g. a gradation from riparian to littoral vegetation).
With respect to the WFD, the hydromorphological condition of a lake only contributes to its status
classification at high ecological status (HES). Hydromorphological conditions are not defined for good and moderate status but shall be sufficient to support the biological elements.
This proposal is for the revision of EN 16039:2011 ‘Water quality – Guidance standard on assessing the hydromorphological features of lakes. There are four principal reasons why this standard needs to be revised: 1. The field of hydromorphology has moved on in the last decade. In particular there have been many advances in the use of remote sensing and these need to be reflected in the description of methods that can be applied to monitoring lake hydromorphology. 2. EN 16039:2011 is listed in Annex V of the Water Framework Directive by virtue of its inclusion in Commission Directive 2014/101/EU of 30 October 2014 amending Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. It is important that an up-to-date version of EN 16039 is available for use under the WFD in place of the present one that is now 13 years old. 3. ECOSTAT has been gathering data from Member States on assessing lake hydromorphology for the WFD and the use of EN 16039 in doing so. There has therefore been an opportunity to ensure that improvements can be made that take account of experience in ECOSTAT and in using the standard to date. 4. There is a need to ensure that the standard remains relevant to its other non-WFD applications. For example, there is growing interest in bringing together work on WFD ecological status and the Habitats Directive assessments of favourable status. In addition, the standard will be relevant to staff in environment agencies, statutory conservation bodies, appropriate government departments, local authorities, national NGOs, restoration practitioners (e.g. environmental consultancies), landowners, and those involved in applied research relevant to lake conservation and restoration.
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