The use of indices of flow variability in assessing the hydrological and instream habitat impacts of upland afforestation and drainage

Archer, David; Newson, Malcolm

doi:10.1016/s0022-1694(02)00171-3

Cited by 49 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The private forest is believed to have been mainly planted in the early 1970s. Archer and Newson (2002) demonstrate that at Coalburn the hydrological response is dominated by the drainage network for approximately 12 years after planting and the runoff is more flashy than under the initial moorland cover. After that period, the forest assumes a greater role in the runoff response which becomes much less flashy.…”

Section: The Catchmentsmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…The method uses indices of flow variability previously developed by Archer (2000), Archer and Newson (2002) and Newson et al (2002) which specifically assesses the degree of variability. Robinson (1993) noted a prevailing view among local residents that the river regime of the Irthing had changed towards increased variability to give more rapid and higher spates than previously.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Scale effects on the hydrological impact of upland afforestation and drainage using indices of flow variability: the River Irthing, England

Archer

2003

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Frequent assertions by river users that rivers in northern England now rise and fall more quickly than in the past, have never been validated by analysis on catchments of more than 10 km 2 . The method using indices of flow variability provides a basis for making direct measurements of the annual number and duration of pulses, i.e. rises above a given flow, and for comparing catchments of different sizes. A comparison is made between the small afforested headwater Coalburn catchment (1.5 km 2 ) and the larger River Irthing catchment (335 km 2 ) on which the afforested area comprises 19%. A simple but effective means is provided for decoupling the effect of climatic variability from the effects of land use. The analysis shows that major changes have occurred on the small catchment, first with rising pulse numbers after pre-afforestation drainage, then with a much greater progressive decrease in pulse number accompanied with increasing pulse duration. In contrast, the larger catchment shows little change in variability indices from the beginning of its record in 1968 until the late 1980s after which the pattern of change mirrors that at Coalburn but the proportional change is much smaller. The direction of change is the opposite of that asserted by river users.

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Section: The Catchmentsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale effects on the hydrological impact of upland afforestation and drainage using indices of flow variability: the River Irthing, England

Archer

2003

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…The effect of high-head storage hydropower schemes on the flow regime of alpine catchments can be effectively evaluated using the proposed indicators: the Pardé-coefficients as an indicator for the seasonal water transfer, a first hydropeaking indicator describing the sub-daily flow (Richter et al 1996;Baker et al 2004, Archer andNewson 2002) but specifically adapted to rivers in catchments with high-head storage hydropower schemes. The two proposed hydropeaking indicators are also appropriate to evaluate the effects of mitigation measures against hydropeaking.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sub-daily flow fluctuations can be taken into account by the methods offered by Archer and Newson (2002) and by Baker et al (2004)'s Richards-Baker Flashiness Index. Black et al (2005) developed a method for classifying alteration of the river flow regime for the European Community Water Framework Directive (EC 2000).…”

Section: Problematic Nature Of Hydropeakingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydropeaking indicators for characterization of the Upper-Rhone River in Switzerland

2010

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River channelization and the construction of high-head storage schemes have been the basis of agricultural and socio-economic development in many alpine regions. One example is the Upper-Rhone River in Switzerland. The Upper-Rhone's morphology changed considerably between 1863 and 1960 as a result of two major channelizations and, from 1950 on, the construction of a large number of high-head storage hydropower schemes in the catchment. These modifications have brought large benefits to the local population, at the cost, however, of substantial disturbances in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in and along the river. A primary factor behind these disturbances is the alteration of the natural flow regime, namely hydropeaking due to the operation of the high-head storage hydropower plants. For sustainable river-restoration projects on regulated rivers, scientists and engineers now widely accept the necessity of integrated management of the river. Different aspects such as river morphology, sediment management, water quality, temperature, and the naturally variable flow regime should be considered simultaneously. Mitigation of non-natural, subdaily flow fluctuations due to hydropeaking is a crucial step in restoring natural flow regimes, but is especially challenging due to the economic constraints such mitigation places upon hydropower plants. With the goal of addressing this challenge, this paper proposes three indicators to describe the flow regime of rivers in alpine catchments with and without high-head storage hydropower plants. The indicators quantify: (1) the seasonal distribution and transfer of water, (2) sub-daily flow fluctuations, and (3) the intensity and frequency of flow changes. Indicators are evaluated in a case study of the Upper-Rhone River for preand post-impact situations, and the benefit of a multipurpose project reducing hydropeaking on hydrologic conditions is quantified. Furthermore, the paper explores the possibility of using these indicators to link aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem well being to their hydrology.

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“…The percentiles reflect combined effects of meteorological variations and other causal factors. In a second approach, seasonal runoff percentiles were divided by the respective seasonal median runoff (Archer and Newson, 2002) to derive relative percentiles. The aim of obtaining multiples of median runoff was to decouple runoff from the annual variation in precipitation to determine whether discharge variability over time was due to warming or changes in vegetation cover.…”

Section: Data Processing and Statisticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in runoff in two neighbouring catchments in the Bohemian Forest related to climate and land cover changes

Bernsteinová

Bässler

Zimmermann

et al. 2015

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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There is public concern that large-scale disturbances to forest cover caused by insects and storm winds in the Bohemian Forest could intensify high water flows and enhance the expected flooding risks predicted in current regional climate change scenarios. We analysed stream discharge in Upper Vydra and Große Ohe, neighbouring catchments in the Bohemian Forest, the largest contiguous forested area in Central Europe. Upper Vydra, in the Šumava National Park, and Große Ohe (including the Upper Große Ohe headwater catchment in the Bavarian Forest National Park) are similar in size, but differ in land use cover and the extent of disturbed Norway spruce stands. Publicly available runoff and meteorological data were examined using non-parametric trend and breakpoint analysis. Together with mapped vegetation cover changes, the results were used to address the following questions: 1) are there significant changes in the hydrological cycle and, if so, do these changes relate to 2) the extent and expansion of disturbance in forests stands and/or 3) altered precipitation dynamics and thermal conditions?We found no marked overall change in annual runoff or in annual or seasonal precipitation, but a significant increase in high flows in March. This overall trend related to the marked warming in late winter and early spring (+~4 K in April, p < 0.01), irrespective of altitude and slope position. It significantly shifted the end of the snow cover period by more than three weeks to the beginning/middle of April depending on altitude, and intensified snow melt.In the Upper Große Ohe catchment, a significant decrease in catchment balance, the difference between the long term precipitation and runoff (-72 mm, 11%) was found when the loss of tree cover reached 30% of catchment area. Diminished evapotranspiration losses from severely disturbed stands increased groundwater recharge during summer and caused a significant rise in low flows in autumn.However, observed increases in late winter high flows were due to warming only. They could be further intensified by the increasing winter precipitation predicted under present climate change scenarios, and would therefore increase the risk of flooding at lower elevations.

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The use of indices of flow variability in assessing the hydrological and instream habitat impacts of upland afforestation and drainage

Cited by 49 publications

References 9 publications

Scale effects on the hydrological impact of upland afforestation and drainage using indices of flow variability: the River Irthing, England

Scale effects on the hydrological impact of upland afforestation and drainage using indices of flow variability: the River Irthing, England

Hydropeaking indicators for characterization of the Upper-Rhone River in Switzerland

Changes in runoff in two neighbouring catchments in the Bohemian Forest related to climate and land cover changes

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