Hydrographic grid according to the European Water Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD)

The dataset represents the identification of the river water bodies of Piedmont within the meaning of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC transposed by Legislative Decree 152/2006. Water bodies are homogenous river traits from the point of view of geomorphological, hydrological and anthropogenic pressures. The body of water is the unit reference element for monitoring under the Directive.The geographical reference level for the table of typing of the Piedmont grid is the official database of the Piedmont Region’s hydrographic grid carried out under the DBPrior project on a scale 1:10,000. The product dataset is a version subject to integrations and modifications.For the identification of water bodies on watercourses, river types have been identified as a priority on the basis of national regulatory criteria, following the methodological approach described below: — definition of hydroecoregions, i.e. geographical areas within which freshwater ecosystems should have a general uniformity of chemical, physical and biological characteristics; — definition, within the Idroecoregions and on the basis of a small number of hydromorphological variables, of 39 river types; — subdivision of the Piedmont hydrographic network into the various types. Based on the results of the allocation of the types, the watercourses have been divided into water bodies considering: — the natural physical characteristics (e.g. presence of significant confluences); — the prevailing anthropogenic pressures; — the quality status resulting from previous monitoring activities.The bodies of water with a water catchment area of less than 10 km² (dimension characteristics below the threshold of significance shown in Annex V to the European Directive) have been neglected.The water bodies identified in Piedmont are 439. The record with field “N_CI” valued as 99 does not identify a body of water but has been inserted to ensure the geographical continuity of the typed grid.