Benefits of trees to flood mitigation in the Lune catchment

Oct 2017 to Sept 2019

Planting new native woodlands in the Cumbrian Fells and downstream in the Lune catchment is considered an important adjunct to other flood mitigation measures. Harnessing nature in this way it is thought will help mitigate flood-risk in the Lune catchment. However, there is a dearth of information available on the impact of different soils, slopes, tree species and densities of planting on the expected benefits to flood peak reductions. Comparison of the observed hydrological effects of new planting (e.g., Mawdsley, Chappell and Swallow, 2017) alongside that for established woodland and other vegetation types is required. There is a need to provide this information to accurately model flood scenarios in the Lune catchment, and estimate the optimal planting and siting decisions for new woodland creation sites to mitigate flooding.

The primary focus of the project will be the Effect of deciduous trees on wet-canopy evaporation during storm events to strengthen the evidence base cited on p39-41 in Hankin et al. (2016).

Photos: Tree planting on Tebay Common in the Lune headwaters (upper) and high-frequency monitoring of throughfall (to derive wet canopy evaporation) in the Lune catchment (lower)

Funding sources

Lune Rivers Trust and Woodland Trust (EAA77551) and European Regional Development Trust Fund (EAA7551) via the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (project CGE64)

Investigators

Louise Gill (project researcher), Nick Chappell, Keith Beven (Lancaster University), Dave Norris (CEH Bangor) with partners Sarah James (née Littlefield), Louisa Blundell (Lune Rivers Trust) and Peter Leeson (Woodland Trust).

Cited Publications

Hankin, B., Craigen, I., Chappell, N.A., Page, T. and Metcalfe, P. 2016. Rivers Trust Life-IP Natural Course Project: Strategic Investigation of Natural Flood Management in Cumbria. Technical Report. JBA Consulting and Lancaster Environment Centre. download report.

Mawdsley, T., Chappell, N.A. and Swallow, E. 2017. Hydrological change on Tebay Common following fencing and tree planting: A preliminary dataset. Report in support of the Woodland Trust Upland Planting Research Programme. Lancaster University, Lancaster (UK). view report (pdf).