A framework for the assessment of groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems under the Water Framework Directive Environmental Research Centre (Final Report of project 2005-W-FS-5)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established this project to develop a decision-making framework for the management of groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTEs) at risk of ‘significant damage’, as required by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), in collaboration with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The principal aims of this project were:

• To identify the locations of groundwater-dependent habitats and species within a selection of candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) by undertaking a desk survey of available data and subsequently to generate a GIS map of the location of GWDTEs in SACs.
• To support the WFD Groundwater Working Group and NPWS staff in their attempts to assess groundwater dependency, sensitivity and significant damage to GWDTEs by developing a framework for their assessment and integration into river basin management plans.

Also available for download:

• Print-Quality Version (i.e. high resolution PDF) of  ERC Report 12