iCASP has been working with the Don Catchment Rivers Trust (DCRT) for the past two years to better understand which factors influence flooding in the Upper Rother.
As our Upper Rother catchment project draws to a close, a series of technical and non technical reports have been produced for landowners and community groups available on our website.
They focus on three areas of the Don River Catchment, which has experienced large flooding events in recent years. They are Moss Brook, River Hipper and Spital Brook sub-catchments.
Aim of the project
To secure funding for flood management initiatives, evidence is needed to show that nature based solutions can make a difference and that management is targeted to areas where initiatives can be suitably installed and have the biggest impact on flood reduction.
The Upper Rother project used hydrological modelling to provide that evidence. It examined whether soil permeability, soil storage or surface roughness had the greatest influence on water movement, and which areas within the catchment contributed most to reducing downstream flooding.
Dr Debbie Coldwell, NFM Officer for the DCRT, said: “This project will allow us to take a more strategic approach when implementing NFM in the Upper Rother catchment area.”
“We now have vital information that will help us to target areas which will have the greatest impact on reducing the risk of flooding and prioritise them effectively when seeking funding.
“We hope to use the outputs from this project to support key landowners in delivering NFM that will work for them and how they manage their land at the same time as delivering a meaningful reduction on downstream flood risk.”
Dr Stephanie Bond, iCASP impact translation fellow, said: “We have identified which factor has the most influence on flooding by modelling each of the three sub catchments and using the experience of local landowners.”
“This information can be used by the DCRT and other NFM practitioners to help them decide which NFM interventions are most effective and where they are best placed to reduce flood levels within the Upper Rother”
“It is also important evidence that can help strengthen funding bids to implement NFM initiatives.”
“During this project we have built on our knowledge of using modelling in another iCASP project that investigated the impact of land use management on flooding in the Upper Calder Valley.”
Working with the local community
During the project, two workshops were held to explore NFM opportunities in the Moss Brook catchment. Landowners, farmers, local residents, and environmental organisations were invited to take part to share their first-hand knowledge of the catchment, its current management and discuss possibilities for the future. The aims of the workshop were two-fold: firstly to test model results based on local knowledge, and secondly, to prioritise the types and specific locations of NFM to be modelled.
Debbie said: “The workshops were incredibly valuable as they brought together stakeholders from the Moss Valley, helped us to build connections and captured vital local knowledge and understanding of the catchment.”
Findings
The results showed improving soil permeability, for example through soil aeration, or increasing the level of water that soil could store, could deliver significant local reductions in flood risk. Increasing soil water storage by 10% was found to reduce water peaks by up to 23% in the Moss Brook catchment.
This knowledge can now be used by land managers to decide which type of Natural Flood Management to use and where. The evidence will also be used to support bids for funding of Natural Flood Management initiatives in the future.
Partners working on the Upper Rother Project included the DCRT, University of Leeds, University of York, the Environment Agency, Derbyshire County Council, North East Derbyshire District Council and Chesterfield Borough Council. On 6 July, Debbie Coldwell, the catchment partnership officer, and Steph Bond, iCASP, will give a talk about the project at the Don Dearn and Rother Network Day.