Hydromorphological and physicochemical conditions of the Parsęta River

Abstract Rivers are hydromorphologically assessed in line with the Water Framework Directive. In order to assess the quality of the Parsęta River environment, the River Habitat Survey method was applied. The research studies, conducted in June 2016, provided an overview of hydromorphological issues, and also covered measurements and laboratory analyses on the quality of its waters. There were 24 measuring sections selected along the whole river. The selection of these sections took into account the representativeness of genetically various types of river valley, its size and discharge, and the variability of anthropogenic pressure. The assessment showed that the Parsęta River varies in natural quality (its HQA index ranged from 17 to 61) and that the modification of its valley is variable but generally low (its HMS index ranged from 0 to 33). Seventy-nine percent of the analysed sections were classified to the second (II) and third (III) hydromorphological classes, 8% to the first (I), and 13% to the fourth (IV). The central section of the Parsęta River has the highest degree of naturalness and the lowest degree of transformation. The river valley sections of kettle-hole origin are more transformed than those of fluvial origin. The quality of the Parsęta River waters assessed on the grounds of their physicochemical parameters indicates that the river is in good condition. The individual river water parameters are most often within the first (I) and second (II) classes. Any instances of the quality of waters being below the “good” level are due to phosphate concentrations exceeding the second (II) class and are contained within a 15-km stretch of the river below Białogard. A river section with a high degree of hydromorphological naturalness has the worst quality of waters.