Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK
Abstract Field‐scale experiments have shown the Natural Flood Management (NFM) potential of peatland restoration. The likelihoods of effectiveness are yet unknown at scales and storms large enough to impact human lives. Using GMD‐TOPMODEL, we upscale a rare Before‐After‐Control‐Intervention empirica...
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| Format: | Article |
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Wiley
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Water Resources Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037320 |
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| author | Salim Goudarzi David Milledge Joseph Holden Martin Evans Tim Allott Adam Johnston Emma Shuttleworth Martin Kay David Brown Joe Rees Donald Edokpa Tom Spencer |
| author_facet | Salim Goudarzi David Milledge Joseph Holden Martin Evans Tim Allott Adam Johnston Emma Shuttleworth Martin Kay David Brown Joe Rees Donald Edokpa Tom Spencer |
| author_sort | Salim Goudarzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Field‐scale experiments have shown the Natural Flood Management (NFM) potential of peatland restoration. The likelihoods of effectiveness are yet unknown at scales and storms large enough to impact human lives. Using GMD‐TOPMODEL, we upscale a rare Before‐After‐Control‐Intervention empirical data set to a 25 km2 catchment with >600 properties at flood‐risk, and test storms of up to a 1,000‐year return period (RP). Under these scales/storms, we find that it is not necessary (nor feasible) to delay the outlet flow‐peak to meaningfully attenuate it. Enhancing catchment “kinematic” storage, for example, through restoration, can be sufficient to reduce flow magnitudes without detectable changes to peak‐flow timing. NFM benefit increases exponentially with restoration area size under smaller storms, but linearly under larger storms. At RP ≤ 100 years, longer‐lasting frontal‐type storms are more challenging to defend against via NFM, but at RP > 100 years shorter‐duration convectional‐type events become more challenging. In the order of 1,000–10 years storms: (a) revegetating the bare‐peat areas in 15% of the catchment is 31%–61% likely to reduce peak‐flows by >5%; (b) revegetating & damming the erosion gullies in ∼20% of the catchment is 42%–71% likely to reduce peak‐flows by >5%; (c) Growth of Sphagnum in the dammed gullies of ∼20% and ∼40% of the catchment increase the likelihoods of >5% peak reductions to 65%–86% and 90%–98%, respectively. The numerical evidence of significant NFM benefit due to Sphagnum re‐establishment is an important finding, because it shows that meaningful flood‐risk mitigation in headwater catchments under scales/storms relevant to communities at risk can be delivered alongside other ecosystem benefits of Sphagnum re‐establishment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0ffdc75e119f4c628994577ed0a6f841 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-0ffdc75e119f4c628994577ed0a6f8412025-08-20T04:00:32ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-08-01608n/an/a10.1029/2024WR037320Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UKSalim Goudarzi0David Milledge1Joseph Holden2Martin Evans3Tim Allott4Adam Johnston5Emma Shuttleworth6Martin Kay7David Brown8Joe Rees9Donald Edokpa10Tom Spencer11School of Geosciences University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UKDepartment of Civil Engineering Newcastle University Newcastle Upon Tyne UKWater@leeds School of Geography University of Leeds Leeds UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKGreater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire Environment Agency Manchester UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKDepartment of Geography University of Manchester Manchester UKMoors for the Future Partnership Manchester UKAbstract Field‐scale experiments have shown the Natural Flood Management (NFM) potential of peatland restoration. The likelihoods of effectiveness are yet unknown at scales and storms large enough to impact human lives. Using GMD‐TOPMODEL, we upscale a rare Before‐After‐Control‐Intervention empirical data set to a 25 km2 catchment with >600 properties at flood‐risk, and test storms of up to a 1,000‐year return period (RP). Under these scales/storms, we find that it is not necessary (nor feasible) to delay the outlet flow‐peak to meaningfully attenuate it. Enhancing catchment “kinematic” storage, for example, through restoration, can be sufficient to reduce flow magnitudes without detectable changes to peak‐flow timing. NFM benefit increases exponentially with restoration area size under smaller storms, but linearly under larger storms. At RP ≤ 100 years, longer‐lasting frontal‐type storms are more challenging to defend against via NFM, but at RP > 100 years shorter‐duration convectional‐type events become more challenging. In the order of 1,000–10 years storms: (a) revegetating the bare‐peat areas in 15% of the catchment is 31%–61% likely to reduce peak‐flows by >5%; (b) revegetating & damming the erosion gullies in ∼20% of the catchment is 42%–71% likely to reduce peak‐flows by >5%; (c) Growth of Sphagnum in the dammed gullies of ∼20% and ∼40% of the catchment increase the likelihoods of >5% peak reductions to 65%–86% and 90%–98%, respectively. The numerical evidence of significant NFM benefit due to Sphagnum re‐establishment is an important finding, because it shows that meaningful flood‐risk mitigation in headwater catchments under scales/storms relevant to communities at risk can be delivered alongside other ecosystem benefits of Sphagnum re‐establishment.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037320natural flood managementnature based solutionsSphagnum re‐establishmentgully‐blockingrevegetationpeatland restoration |
| spellingShingle | Salim Goudarzi David Milledge Joseph Holden Martin Evans Tim Allott Adam Johnston Emma Shuttleworth Martin Kay David Brown Joe Rees Donald Edokpa Tom Spencer Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK Water Resources Research natural flood management nature based solutions Sphagnum re‐establishment gully‐blocking revegetation peatland restoration |
| title | Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK |
| title_full | Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK |
| title_fullStr | Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK |
| title_full_unstemmed | Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK |
| title_short | Natural Flood Management Through Peatland Restoration: Catchment‐Scale Modeling of Past and Future Scenarios in Glossop, UK |
| title_sort | natural flood management through peatland restoration catchment scale modeling of past and future scenarios in glossop uk |
| topic | natural flood management nature based solutions Sphagnum re‐establishment gully‐blocking revegetation peatland restoration |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037320 |
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