European Project for web-assisted Environmental Education
  freeyourriver Gymnasium Fallersleben OUR EXPLORATION OF THE RIVER Checklist   HUMAN USAGE


HUMAN USAGE

This form can only be filled in by teachers and students of this school who are logged in.

Date of check *
Give a title to this check *

Click here to read more background information on this chapter of the checklist.

1. AGRICULTURE
a) Does field irrigation exist in your municipality? No
Yes
Comment
b) If irrigation exists. What type of irrigation is used?

micro-irrigation
drip irrigation
sprinkler irrigation
irrigation with pipes   
Others - list:
c) Where does the water for irrigation come from? River water
Ground water
Others - list
d) Are you allowed to use drinking water for irrigation? Yes
No
e) Do you have to pay for the drinking water, which is used for irrigation? Depends on the quantity
Does not depend on the quantity
No 
f) If there are legal buffer areas , are they respected? Yes
No
g) How high are nitrates in the ground water?    <10 mg/litre
<25 mg/litre
25-50mg/litre
>50 mg/litre
we got no answer
h) Are there regulations § (in general) for the use of pesticides? Yes
No
i) Are there regulations § (in general) for the use of fertilisers? Yes
No
2. INDUSTRY
a) Which kind of industry exists along the river?
b) Do these industries need water from the river? Yes
Partly
No
c) Are there regulations § governing polluted or discharged water of these industries flowing into the river? Yes
Partly
No
d) Are these regulations respected? Yes
Partly
No
e) Do these industries heat up the water they need? No
Partly
Yes
3. TRANSPORT
a) Was the river used for the transport of goods in the past? Yes
No
b) Which kind of goods have been transported on the river in the past?
c) Is the river still used for the transport of goods? Yes
No
d) Which kind of goods are transported on the river nowadays?
e) Was the river used for the transport of people (public transport)? Yes
No
f) Is the river still used for the transport of people (public transport)? Yes
No
g) Have there been modifications on the river to enable the use of different kind of ships the whole year for transport of goods? E.g. dams…… No
Only some little actions in a small area
Big actions in a small area
Everywhere on the river (long distance) common 
4. URBANISATION
a) Are parts of rivers and streams in your municipality straightened? No
Only some in the settlement area
Generally in the settlement area
Everywhere common
b) How does the course of most of the rivers and streams in your municipality look like? Natural
Near-natural 
Straightened or modified by human action
 
c) Do artificial structures of hydroelectric power stations have fish ladders or fish passes?   All dams and weirs have them
Mostly
Only some
None of them
No dams and weirs
d) How does the municipality maintain the rivers and streams? Near-natural maintenance (plants adapted to the habitat), action only if really necessary
Cutting of riparian vegetation only partly and adjusted to the season
Riparian vegetation will only be trimmed at the most once a year
Cutting and mowing of riparian vegetation 2-3/year
Riparian vegetation is always kept short and there is almost no riparian vegetation.
e) Do you have rubbish cleaning campaigns for the rivers and streams?  Regularly
Infrequently
Never
5. WATER USE
a) Is rainwater separated from sewage (waste water) in your municipality? Not at all.
Partly.
Completely.
b) Are citizens connected to a central waste water treatment plant? Yes
No
If not, What system do they use?
  LIST
c) Is catching rainwater encouraged by the government? No, not at all.
Only catching is encouraged.
Catching and consumption are encouraged.
Compulsory use of rainwater.
d) What taxes appear on the water bill?
  LIST
e) Consumption of water per person: your municipality:
Consumption of water per person: national average:
When you compare the consumption of water per person with the national average, in your municipality the consumption is: Less.
Similar.
Higher.
f) Is the sewage (wastewater) in your municipality treated before it flows back in the river? Yes, a waste water treatment plant treats all sewage (wastewater).
Yes, there is a waste water treatment plant, but its capacity is insufficient.
There are plans to build a waste water treatment plant in the near future.
No, sewage (wastewater) is not treated
6. TOURISM AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES
a) Which kind of sports are possible beside/on your river?
  LIST
b) Are there recommendations for the environmentally-responsible behaviour? Yes
Partly
No
c) Does the sport you do include a nature experience/discovery of the river? Yes
Partly
No
7. HISTORICAL ASPECTS
a) Which kind of crafts were along the river in historical times?
  List
b) Do you know names (street, landscape…) which show a connection with rivers, wetlands….?
  List
c) Are there legends and fairy tales connected to your river/wetland (more material can be put on the “Book of the River”)?
  List
d) How were floods managed in the past?
  Describe
e) Were there settlements near the rivers in former times? Yes
No
f) Do you know where old settlements were located?
  Describe
8. PROTECTION
a) Are near-natural stretches of rivers, wetlands and floodplains (alluvial plain) protected in your municipality? Yes
Partly
no
no such habitats
b) Is the required space of the rivers protected and guaranteed by the administration (development plan)?  Yes
Partly
No
c) Are people informed about protected areas?  Yes, they know the areas and the municipality informs regularly about the status
Most people know that these areas exist
Most people know nothing about these areas
No protected areas
d) Are the protected areas respected?   Yes
Partly
No
No protected areas
e) Does your municipality inform people about endangered animals and plants? Regularly
Species known, but no information
No information
No endangered species 
f) Do you have special programs for species living in water? Some projects implemented
One project implemented
At least 1 project planned
No activities
g) Are you informed about special areas (e.g. breeding habitats of birds) which need special protection? Regularly
Areas known, but no information
No information
No special areas
h) Do you (or your community) have a specific plan to protect rivers, riparian forests and wetlands? Yes we have and the people are informed about the background
Yes we have, but no information is shared with the public
Only in some cases
No such planning
i) Are the people informed about the special importance of a near-natural river? Yes
Partly
No
9. RESTORATION
a) Do you have restoration projects in your municipality? Some projects implemented
At least 1 project implemented
At least 1 project planned
No activities
b) Are these projects part of a larger concept? Concept for the river basin 
Concept for the municipality 
No larger concept
No implemented projects
Notes about the collection of data
and first assessement of the results *