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Beavers have influenced the world’s ecosystem for millions of years. Their dams create ponds and wetlands that provide a large range of hydraulic and ecological benefits to the natural world, including mitigation against flooding and improving water quality. As beavers are now being reintroduced to many parts of the world, it is important to fully understand the impact of their dams on the flow characteristics of the water-courses on which they are built. This paper investigates the relationship between the physical properties of a model beaver dam and its fundamental hydraulics and pollutant dispersion characteristics. The first objective of this paper was to develop a modelling framework to relate discharge to flow-depth for dams with a combination of porous and impermeable sections. The second objective was to utilize a similar framework to predict the down-stream concentration distribution of an up-stream pollution event passing through such systems. The ability to model these parameters for dams with variable lengths of porous and impermeable sections is important as the porosity of beaver dams can vary with depth, depending on which sections are constructed from branches, rocks, or compacted mud. The analysis and modelling developed in this paper show that a single, general relationship can be obtained between discharge and flow-depth regardless of the presence of sections that are both porous or impermeable, provided the relative depths of these sections are known and accounted for. It is also shown that the Nominal Residence Time and the Advection Dispersion Equation can be used to predict pollutant transport in such systems. These two equations have previously been shown to have limitations when applied to some complex systems, so demonstrating they can be applied to a porous dam with combinations of porous and impermeable sections at the relative discharges investigated is noteworthy.
James Hart; Matteo Rubinato; Tom Lavers. An Experimental Investigation of the Hydraulics and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics of a Model Beaver Dam. Water 2020, 12, 2320 .
AMA StyleJames Hart, Matteo Rubinato, Tom Lavers. An Experimental Investigation of the Hydraulics and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics of a Model Beaver Dam. Water. 2020; 12 (9):2320.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJames Hart; Matteo Rubinato; Tom Lavers. 2020. "An Experimental Investigation of the Hydraulics and Pollutant Dispersion Characteristics of a Model Beaver Dam." Water 12, no. 9: 2320.
The use of natural flood management (NFM) measures to address severe flooding received considerable public attention during December 2015–January 2016 storms. Within the Warwickshire-Avon Catchment, UK, high arable and improved grassland land cover with small, isolated communities at risk, lead to the exploration of novel techniques that use farmland high up in flood-prone catchments to hold water and reduce outflow discharge. This paper will discuss the methodology used to identify areas in the Warwickshire-Avon, which could be used to install NFM measures to attenuate the storm peak and provide wider ecosystem services, principally addressing total phosphate and sediment entering the receiving watercourse. This involved constructing a GIS database of catchment geomorphological characteristics whilst simultaneously engaging with those significant stakeholders of farmers and landowners to capture local input and produce a model for applied NFM for future projects looking to explore the role of working with natural processes (WwNP) for flood risk reduction within the agricultural environment. The advantages, disadvantages and key lessons learnt are also presented in this paper, to recognise the benefits and limitations of communities and catchments exploring such methods for flood risk management (FRM).
Tom Lavers; Susanne Charlesworth. Opportunity mapping of natural flood management measures: a case study from the headwaters of the Warwickshire-Avon. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2017, 25, 19313 -19322.
AMA StyleTom Lavers, Susanne Charlesworth. Opportunity mapping of natural flood management measures: a case study from the headwaters of the Warwickshire-Avon. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2017; 25 (20):19313-19322.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTom Lavers; Susanne Charlesworth. 2017. "Opportunity mapping of natural flood management measures: a case study from the headwaters of the Warwickshire-Avon." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 25, no. 20: 19313-19322.
This chapter considers the emerging research field of 'Natural Flood Risk Management' (NFRM), and the importance of developing and collating the existing evidence to meet national and international policy agendas in adapting to the impacts of climate change by working with natural processes. The majority of research into NFRM has emerged in the past decade across England, Wales, Scotland and continental Europe. NFRM works with natural processes to alleviate current and future flood risk. NFRM can be broadly aligned into three categories within both restoration and alteration, including: upland afforestation, upland drainage alteration, and wetlands and floodplain alteration. Methods and approaches, such as hard engineering, that have either identified or analysed the role of NFRM have used one or more of four elements: mapping, modelling and to a lesser extent monitoring and engagement. The chapter considers theses approaches in the study of NFRM and their contribution to a better understanding of their benefits.
Tom Lavers; Susanne M. Charlesworth. Natural Flood Risk Management and its Role in Working with Natural Processes. Sustainable Surface Water Management 2016, 157 -176.
AMA StyleTom Lavers, Susanne M. Charlesworth. Natural Flood Risk Management and its Role in Working with Natural Processes. Sustainable Surface Water Management. 2016; ():157-176.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTom Lavers; Susanne M. Charlesworth. 2016. "Natural Flood Risk Management and its Role in Working with Natural Processes." Sustainable Surface Water Management , no. : 157-176.