Improvement of the surface water quality monitoring in rural protected areas

Water monitoring is one of the most important parts of water quality management. The collected data are very useful for mathematical modelling of water quality, such as the SWAT model for rural river basins, as well as for a better understanding of hydrological and hydraulic processes of pollution and sediment transport, which ensures the preservation of NATURA 2000 protected areas. The Sutla River, as part of the NATURA 2000 ecological network, is important for the conservation of seven fish species and one shellfish species under the Habitats Directive (FRISCO project, 2020). The analysis of the existing water quality monitoring based on the collected available data, as well as the need for its improvement, is presented in the case study of Sutla River Basin.