European catchments and Rivers network system (Ecrins), aggregation catchments and reference layers - version 1, Jun. 2012

This dataset contains the aggregation catchments datasets of Ecrins v1.0 The purpose of Ecrins is modelling and homogeneous assessment of any data sets and information in relation with continental catchment systems. The WFD is the main driver of creation of such aggregates. The uppermost aggregate of the WFD is the “river basin district” that is not hydrological entity. It is analysed as i) all those FECS being in majority in the official RBD delineation, ii) all those FECs, topologically connected, that are the closet shaping of the RBD, the “functional RBD”. For example, the upper Garonne is in the first case attached the Ebro RBD and to the Garonne functional RBD because the water empties in the Gironde, not in the Mediterranean RBD sizes lay in a wide range. Two categories of sub-basins have been designed, the “sub-basins Strahler, aggregated from a Strahler order criterion and the natural sub-basins, aggregated from a main affluent criterion. Both apportion functional RBDs. The tables are C_B, the catchments that empty on a se-shore (as the seas from SeaVox, care taken of islands: e.g. England and France vs. British Channel are different C_B, despite same sea shore) RBD_Int_clp are the RBDs, dissolved as international RBDs; C_FRBD functional RBDs C_SS: sub-basins based on Strahler definition, C_SB: sub-basins natural C_NUTS: harmonised table of “pseudo nuts” used to document FECs (largest share of FEC in a NUT). NUT level has been selected to match best French NUTS2, making appropriate aggregate in those countries not using the NUTs classification; C_try: delineation of countries to which FECs have been set. The ID of each feature in each feature class are those in the C_Zhyd table of EcrFEC. Full documentation is in EEA technical report 9/2012, downloadable from the EEA website.