Uk perspectives of the environmental impact of water resource developments |
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| Authors: | A T Newman |
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| Institution: | (1) National Rivers Authority Bridgwater, UK |
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| Abstract: | Differing arrangements exist for water resources regulation in the four nations of the UK. This account is largely concerned with England and Wales where a unitary regulation of water resources permits a coherent view of developments, although some reference is made to Scotland and Northern Ireland.Following a review in 1987 of compensation flows from UK reservoirs attention has more recently been focused on a broader range of water resource developments. The more obscured impacts of groundwater developments is now attracting the greater attention. Measures of environmental impact are confused by a wide number of environmental variables and the lack of consistent observation of these through the period of disturbance. Uncertainties have been compounded during studies by the coincidence of a major drought period with consequent accentuation of seasons with prolonged river lowflows.Historically water resource developments have been aimed by Engineers to maximise the production of usable water. The value of the resource in situ to the natural or previous managed environment will have had its defenders but that value could be degraded in pursuit of the primary goal. Recent convention and now statutory requirement for environmental impact assessment demands the involvement of inter-disciplinary study teams. This welcome practice remains bedeviled by the lack of sound quantitative criteria for water resource engineering design.There is no absence of general scientific understanding of environmental impacts but the need remains for the establishment of criteria and regular analytical procedures with which to link hydrological regimes with ecological success. Much work is being done in the UK to address this matter and there is increasing collaboration between Hydrologists and Biologists to seek constructive remedies. |
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