Natural Flood Processes for Flood Risk Management

The aim of this project is to develop a novel methodology to assess the effectiveness of Natural Flood Management (NFM) interventions at catchment reach levels. The methodology is based on an integrated and complementary monitoring and modelling approach, utilising NRW technologies, which will lead to improved flood modelling software. The effectiveness will be tested using data from a new integrated field monitoring programme at two Shropshire catchments. The project has five objectives:

Objective 1. To understand the scale and location requirements for effective NFM interventions at catchment level in new NFM sites (e.g. Corvedale and Coalbrookdale).
Objective 2. To develop a novel technology supported protocol for monitoring the effectiveness of woody debris dams at the NFM sites by enhancing the current monitoring programme.
Objective 3. To develop and validate a NFM prediction methodology by adding on a unit at reach level to EA approved flood modelling tools. This unit will represent the hydrodynamic impounding effect.
Objective 4. To test the new unit against the field site data sets and benchmark against current approaches to modelling woody debris dams in existing flood modelling software.
Objective 5. To use the new modelling unit to test clusters of woody debris dams and combinations of NFM intervention types for current and future climate change dynamics.