were monitored at a site on the River Lambourn (The CEH River Lambourn Observatory) and major instream and riparian impacts were observed. Measurements clearly demonstrated how weed cutting enhanced flood flow conveyance, reduced water levels (river and wetland), increased river velocities, and mobilised suspended sediment (with associated chemicals) and reduced the capacity for its retention within the river channel. Potential implications in relation to flood risk, water resources, downstream water quality, instream and riparian ecology, amenity value of the river, and wetland greenhouse gas emissions were considered. Provided the major influence of macrophytes on instream and riparian environments is fully understood then the manipulation of macrophytes represents an effective management tool that demonstrates the great potential of working with nature.
In developed urban and some rural areas, sediment in streams is a pervasive, ubiquitous pollutant that poses ecological problems, reducing habitat structure, limiting the potential biotic diversity of the area, and in some cases extirpating sensitive and protected species. One of the functions of a stable stream system is to transport sediment from the watershed in a manner that does not aggrade nor degrade the stream channel. While some rivers have always carried significant loads of sediment (e.g., moraine systems), others are expanding this functional role in response to a variety of human activities in the watershed.Complex watershed models, such as HSPF (Hydrological Simulation Program -FORTRAN) and SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) estimate sediment loads from wash-off processes that are simulated from various land use practices within the watershed. However, few models are currently available to provide an estimate of sediment that is generated from the stream banks of the river channels. This paper presents and discusses a simple linked model that can be used to estimate both stream bank and watershed sediment loading.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.