Environmental monitoring of river water quality in Albania, using biological and chemical parameters, is a fast and effective way to assess the quality of water bodies.The aim of this study was to investigate Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT), Biotic index-Richness using macroinvertebrates to assess the water quality, with special reference to nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen) levels in the Devolli, Shkumbini and Osumi rivers. Our objective was to investigate the relationships between the measures of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and nutrient concentrations to assess water quality. The rivers' benthic macroinvertebrates were collected during different seasons in 2012. The biological and chemical parameters used in the current study identified them as quick indicators of water quality assessment. The total number of macroinvertebrate individuals (n = 15,006) (Osumi river: n = 5,546 organisms; Devolli river: n = 3,469 organisms; and Shkumbini river: n = 5,991 organisms), together with the EPT group (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera), showed that the water quality at the river stations during the above-mentioned period belonged to Classes II and III (fair water quality and good water quality, respectively). The classification of the water quality was also based on the nitrogen and total phosphorus contents. The pollution tolerance levels of macroinvertebrate taxa varied from the non-tolerating forms encountered in environments with low pollution levels to the tolerating forms that are typical of environments with considerable pollution levels.

Small standing-water ecosystems (SWE, i.e. ponds, lakes, reservoirs), natural or anthropogenic origin, dominate in the global landscape, contributing to the high diversity of habitats and species as well as environmental heterogeneity. Water chemistry, morphometry, climate and the level of human activities are extremely

Compliance with the Water Framework Directive has not yet been met by Albania, and further efforts are needed to achieve this goal, including the implementation of an extensive programme of monitoring of surface and groundwater bodies. Benthic macroinvertebrates are an integrated element of this monitoring programme whose results are being used to assess the achievement of the Water Framework Directive objectives. This study has been carried out strictly following protocols and methodologies of the Water Framework Directive. The biological assessment took place in 2017 at 11 monitoring stations along the Drin River in Albania. Sampled specimens have been used to assess the water quality along the Drin River Basin through a set of indices’ calculations per each group of indicators. A total of 41 benthic invertebrate taxa were used to calculate the biotic indices, finding out only 3 monitoring stations with a good status of water out of 11 monitoring stations assessed in our study; water quality in 8 monitoring stations is classified as a moderate or poor status. Statistical analysis has been carried out to identify the trend of benthic invertebrates from one sampling point to another and the factors influencing the similarity between monitoring stations and benthic invertebrate families.

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