**1.4 Significant hydromorphological pressures**

The main hydromorphological pressures identified in the risk analyzes are hydropower, flood protection, navigation, and agriculture. There are other activities of some importance, such as urbanization, water use for irrigation, outdoor recreational activities, and fishing. Hydromorphological pressures are often generated by the performance of hydrotechnical works, such as dams for hydropower generation, flood protection, as well as water capture or construction of navigation canals [21].

Hydromorphological pressures affect watercourses in river basins, the most important hydromorphological pressures being caused by:


These hydromorphological changes such as dams, reservoirs, canals, diversions with changes in the profile of the surface water body, can in turn cause changes such as interruptions of sediment transport, changes in hydraulic and hydrological characteristics (reduced water flow), loss of areas flooding or drying of wetlands,

*Water Quality and Anthropogenic Pressures in a Changing Environment: The Arges River Basin… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101790*

as well as the direct damage to the biota and disruption of biological continuity. The impact of these changes and the subsequent effects lead to the disappearance of aquatic communities [22].
