LINKING FISH HABITAT MODELLING AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN RUNNING WATERS

摘要

The assessment of ecological status for running waters is one of the major issues within an integrated river basin management and plays a key role with respect to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). One of the tools supporting the development of sustainable river management is physical habitat modeling, e.g., for fish, because fish population are one of the most important indicators for the ecological integrity of rivers. Within physical habitat models hydromorphological parameters are considered. Essential for the habitat preference and selection by fish, are: flow velocity, water depth, water temperature and substratum. Because structural properties of the river bottom are inherent for habitat suitability, particularly for spawning habitats, grain size and embeddedness are crucial. This paper presents a case study at the upper part of the river Rhine, where it was possible to develop efficient measures for an ecologically oriented sediment management concept, based on the results of the habitat model CASiMiR.