River Monitoring Programme 2018. Classification of ecological and chemical status in Norwegian rivers according to the Water Framework Directive

Summary

The River Monitoring Program is part of the Norwegian authorities' surveillance monitoring and is a continuation of a monitoring program that has been run by NIVA with NIBIO and NVE since 2004 (“Elvetilførselsprogrammet”). The objective of the survey was to classify the ecological and chemical status according to the guidelines in “vannforskriften” (the Norwegian implementation of the Water Framework Directive), as a basis for planning of potential measures to be taken. This report shows the results from 2018, where a total of 68 sites in 46 water bodies in 22 rivers were monitored, resulting in 1-3 sites being monitored in each water body. Biology was monitored at 3 sites in each of the 22 rivers, and water chemistry for EU priority substances was measured in 6 rivers. Where more than one site was monitored within a water body, the results for the sites were combined to one average classification for that water body. Furthermore, 7 water bodies in a total of 4 rivers were monitored for mine pollution. This sums up to a total of 76 stations monitored, across 51 water bodies in 25 rivers. (...)