Human activities have extensively modified inland water bodies leading to habitat and biodiversity loss and damage to the ecosystems that regulate the quantity and quality of water in the environment. The policies arising from the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) seeks to protect the quantity and quality of water in the environment by improving and maintaining the environmental condition of waters, including rivers, large lakes, groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters to 1 nautical mile (1.85km). The WFD requires Member States to produce river basin management plans (RBMPs) for all river basin districts in the EU by 2009. These set environmental objectives for all groundwater and surface water bodies (not including lakes and ponds of less than 50 hectares) within a river basin district, and a programme of measures to meet those objectives. To allow active involvement and consultation with interested parties, including stakeholders and the public, Member States must allow six months for written public consultation on these documents (from December 2008). This POSTnote will set out the possible measures that could be used to meet objectives set in the UK and examine the scientific evidence base to support the use of these measure and the likely environmental benefits.