Got this from friend David Eckert. It was published in October 2009 by the UK Environment Agency.
Here is the link.
Hyporheic zone? Look here and at the diagram below.
From the background and objectives:
The groundwater–surface water (GW/SW) interface including the hyporheic zone, comprises fluvial sediments within which there is exchange of water between a stream and the subsurface (Bencala 2005) (Figure 1.1). It is characterised by chemical and temperature gradients that exert control on the behaviour of chemicals and organisms both at the interface and in the
adjacent aquifer and stream environments (Brunke and Gonser 1997, Hancock et al. 2005). Whilst there is a considerable body of knowledge about processes occurring within both rivers and aquifers, less is known about the processes that occur at the interface of these environmental compartments.
Recent developments in environmental legislation in Europe, such as the EU Water Framework Directive (CEC 2000) require a more integrated approach to the management of hydrological catchments. Similar approaches are advocated elsewhere (e.g. USGS 1998). The holistic assessment and management of catchments requires a better understanding of the interfaces between traditional environmental compartments. These interfaces were previously the boundaries of environmental management units, but are now recognised to be important areas for cycling of energy, nutrients and organic compounds (McClain et al. 2003), and exert significant control over catchment-wide pollutant transfer (Smith et al. 2009) and ecological health (Brunke and Gonser 1997).
Effective integrated catchment management requires improved transfer of knowledge from research into the science end-user community. Equally, new research priorities identified through new approaches to catchment management, site management and legislative/policy developments need to transfer from the environmental management community to academia. Recognising these needs, the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded a Knowledge Transfer Network on GW/SW interactions and hyporheic zone processes (The Hyporheic Network, www.hyporheic.net), between 2007 and 2009. This Hyporheic Handbook is a product of the network, and aims to bring together the latest research on a range of topics related to the GW/SW interface and hyporheic zones specifically for environmental management practitioners. The Handbook focuses principally on hydrological systems in temperate climatic zones, and applies to both headwater and larger lowland rivers.
The specific objectives of this handbook are to:
• synthesise the latest research on GW/SW interactions and hyporheic zone processes for the science end-user community, particularly river or catchment managers
• transfer knowledge from the research base to the science end-user community
• provide a ‘how to’, or at least ‘what to think about’, handbook to encourage the use of sound science in river management decisions
• provide a teaching aid for post-graduate level students.
The first section of this handbook provides an overview of GW/SW interactions and hyporheic zone processes, then reviews the environmental management issues that require the GW/SW interface to be considered. Subsequent chapters bring together the latest research on specific aspects of the interface, and cross reference to the environmental management questions. The handbook concludes with recommendations for further work in both research and environmental management fields.
Take it from someone who once dabbled in the hyporheic zone: this looks like a very useful publication.
Enjoy!
"A wise man cares not for what he cannot have." - British proverb
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