natural area

Planting and maintaining tree cover in near-stream areas can have multiple benefits including erosion and nutrient leaching control. They will also slow the stream velocity during high flow flood events and may have beneficial effects on stream temperature. Maintaining treed forest buffers during clearcutting can help minimizing the adverse effects of forestry on water quality and may have additional biodiversity benefits.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

The reconstitution of the alluvial mattress consists in leveling-up the river bed and/or reactivating the bank erosion in order to stop the incision of the river bed. It can allow better connection with side arms, level-up the water level at low flow periods, diversifying flows (depth, substrate, speed), diversify habitats and increase retention times.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

Temporary streams are of particular importance when it comes to water storage and time retention especially in flash flood prone areas. Some measures can be directly implemented in order to ensure their proper functioning.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

In the past, rivers have been straightened by cutting off meanders (historically, many rivers in northern and western Europe have been straightened and channelized to facilitate log floating and/or speed up the drainage of water and control/limit the river bed movements).ﾠ Re-meandering is bringing a river back closer to its naturally meandering state by creating a new meandering course and by reconnecting cut-off meanders.ﾠ Re-meandering slows down the flow of a river.ﾠ The new form of the river channel creates new flow conditions and very often also has an impact on sedimentation.ﾠ The newly created or reconnected meanders also provide habitats for a wide range of aquatic and land species of plants and animals.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

To ease the overall functioning of the river, some hydrographical network elements could be reconnected, including the so-called hydraulic annexes. This will allow for improvement of lateral connectivity, diversifying flows and habitats, but also cleaning the secondary arms that play a key role for retention in high water periods.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

Levelling longitudinal barriers allows re-establishing fluvial dynamics and ecological continuity. The aim is to restore the slope and longitudinal profile of the river, to restore natural water flows, to allow for the solid transport (sediment) to take place, toﾠ diversify flows (depth, substrate, speed), diversify habitats and related flora and fauna.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

A gabion (from Italian gabbione meaning "big cage"; from Italian gabbia and Latin cavea meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder, or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road building, and military applications.

Coarse woody debris is a key stream habitat feature used by fish and other organisms. Coarse woody debris can also help to lower flow velocity in streams.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission

AGR stores large quantities of water in underground aquifers to increase the quantity of groundwater in times of shortage.ﾠ It results in a lowering of run-off from surrounding land, and in an enhanced natural condition of aquifers and water availability.ﾠ The natural cleaning process of water percolating through the soils when entering the AGR improves water quality. Mechanisms used to undertake the recharge should be highlighted. In this respect one can envisage:(i) surface structures to facilitate/augment recharge (such as soakways and infiltration basins);(ii) subsurface indirect recharge - artificial recharge is undertaken through wells drilled within the unsaturated zone;(iii) subsurface direct recharge - artificial recharge is undertaken through wells reaching the saturated zone. The regulatory approach to be adopted for each of the above three mechanisms could differ considerably, due to the fact that the level of natural protection to groundwater is vastly different for each of the mechanisms

The suppression of lateral constraints consists in removing some bank protection in order to enhance lateral connection of the river, diversifying flows (depth, substrate, speed), diversify habitats but also capping floods in the mainstream.
- Based on Stella definitions, adapted by NWRM project experts and validated by the European Commission