Assessment and classification of hydromorphological state of the Breń River

Abstract

The paper presents the classification of the hydromorphological condition of the Breń River according to the River Habitat Survey (RHS). The research of the hydromorphological assessment of the Breń River, which is a right-bank tributary of the Vistula River and almost entirely flows through the area of the Dąbrowa Tarnowska district was conducted in June 2015. The research sites were situated on the border of the Tarnów Plateau and the Vistula Lowland. The Breń River in these sections flows through rural areas used for agricultural purposes with low-density housing. The analysis of qualitative parameters describing the morphological characteristics were based on two synthetic indices of stream quality: Habitat Quality Assesment (HQA) and Habitat Modification Score (HMS). The calculated numerical values of the two indices proved that the sections of the Breń River correspond with the third and fifth class, which means a moderate (III) and very bad (V) hydromorphological condition.