The use of woody dams in Natural Flood Management - temporal implications on in-channel hydrology, sediment dynamics and ecology

Taylor, MD, Clarke, L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8174-3839, Harrison, A, Weldon, L, Golob, E and Robson, HJ, 2025. The use of woody dams in Natural Flood Management - temporal implications on in-channel hydrology, sediment dynamics and ecology. River Research and Applications. ISSN 1535-1459

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Abstract

The use of Natural Flood Management (NFM) interventions, and in particular woody dams, has become increasingly widespread over the last ca. 15 years. These interventions help to reduce flood risk downstream, diversifying geomorphology and hydraulics, and may influence aquatic biota. This study examines how the age of woody dams affects the hydrology, geomorphology and ecology in the Stroud Frome and Twyver catchments in Gloucestershire, UK. Our study examined three sites with similar environmental characteristics: (1) no woody dams (control); (2) woody dams recently installed; and (3) older woody dams installed more than five years previously. Five flow events of varying magnitude were monitored, with variables related to hydrology, geomorphology and ecology collected to enable a broad comparison between the sites. There was clear evidence that woody dams mitigated the impact of high magnitude flow events by reducing water velocity and increasing water storage compared with the control site, as well as reducing the amount of sediment transported downstream. Following installation, the woody dams altered hydrological conditions rapidly and maintained a good level of efficiency as they aged. The addition of woody dams also improved riparian vegetation structure and provided positive impacts on habitat availability, showing an increase for in-stream macroinvertebrates and habitat complexity. This research provides evidence to stakeholders that woody dams can be implemented with minimal future maintenance and deliver multiple benefits to a high level of efficiency over at least a 5-year time period. The management implications of siltation around woody dam structures are also discussed.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	River Research and Applications
Creators:	Taylor, M.D., Clarke, L., Harrison, A., Weldon, L., Golob, E. and Robson, H.J.
Publisher:	Wiley
Date:	5 September 2025
ISSN:	1535-1459
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1002/rra.70029 DOI 2496106 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	26 Sep 2025 08:22
Last Modified:	26 Sep 2025 08:22
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54448

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