BP3 - Store river water

A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments (known as dikes) whose altitude is usually below sea level. It forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually operated devices. The re-naturalisation, or depoldering, of polders involves enhancing their sub-natural characteristics to allow better water storage in watercourses inside the polder and increase...

Sediment capture ponds are engineered ponds placed in networks of forest ditches to slow the velocity of water and cause the deposition of suspended materials. Sediment capture ponds are most useful for managing the effects of ditch construction and maintenance, road work and final feeling. While used primarily in forests, sediment capture ponds may be a useful temporary measure for preserving water quality in and around construction sites or...

Seasonal streams or intermittent rivers are rivers for which surface water ceases to flow at some point in space and time. They comprise a large proportion of the global river network and are characterised by dynamic exchanges between terrestrial and aquatic habitats. These habitats support aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial biota. Seasonal streams provide essential ecosystem services to society, including flood control and irrigation....

Riverbanks hold a key position in the functionality of floodplains as they constitute the gradual transition between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, due to technical constructions, the majority of riverbanks in temperate regions are far from their ecological potential.

A riverbank protection is an inert or living construction providing bank fixation but also an obstacle for the lateral connection of the river. Eliminating it consists in removing some parts of the bank protection, especially the inert one, in order to enhance lateral connections of the river, diversify flows (depth, substrate, and speed) and habitats, but also cap floods in the mainstream. It is a prerequisite for many other measures like re...

A river meander is a U-form taken by the river, allowing it to decrease water velocity. In the past, rivers have been straightened by cutting off meanders. Many rivers in northern and Western Europe have been straightened and channelized to, for example, facilitate log floating and/or speed up the drainage of water and control/limit the river bed movements. Channelizing was also a way to gain land for cultivation. River re-meandering consists...

Ongoing climate change affects lake water quality through several mechanisms, including (1) changes in external and internal nutrient loads, (2) increased frequency of extreme events such as hurricanes, (3) temperature-induced changes in biota and biotic interactions, and (4) fluctuations in water levels.
Lakes function as important water retention systems, capable of storing water for flood control and providing water for multiple uses...

Groundwater is the part of infiltrated water which composes the water resource for population and human activities.  Previous modifications of the landscape have reduced the infiltration capacity of many European soils, thereby limiting the rate at which precipitation is able to infiltrate and recharge groundwater aquifers. Restoration of natural infiltration to groundwater enables a lowering of run-off from surrounding land, and...

Streambed (or riverbed) represents the bottom of the river, including each bank. In the past, riverbeds have been artificially modified with concrete or big boulders, altering flows and reducing habitat for wildlife and vegetation diversity. The changes were aimed at preventing flood or supporting changes of agricultural practices for example. This has led to more...

A floodplain is the area bordering a river that naturally provides space for the retention of flood and rainwater.  Because of regular flooding, floodplain soils are generally very fertile and they have often been dried-out to be used as agricultural land. Floodplains in many places have also been separated from the river by dikes, berms or other structures designed to control the flow of the...