|
While for the fire site restoration works
decades of research have contributed to advice and planning of lime,
fertilizer and seed application to stabilise peat soils, the method
of gully blocking is much less formalised. |
|
- Raising the water table
- Promoting re-vegetation
- Reducing peak discharge
- Reducing sediment/carbon loss from eroding
peatlands
|
- What are appropriate slopes?
- What are appropriate catchment areas?
- What are the optimum locations to achieve
the aims above. i.e. where are the pressure points in the system?
|
| The
location of gully blocks should be determined by (a) feasibility (where
does it work?) and (b) strategic location (where will it have the
greatest effect in raising the water table?). For (a) it is proposed
to survey naturally re-vegetated sites to assess suitable slopes,
gully sizes, and gully forms for successful re-vegetation. These parameters
should lead to guidance for optimal placement to reduce sediment loss
and to increase re-vegetation. For (b) the hydrology of the peat system
needs to be assessed. This could be achieved by running an existing
model from Leeds University on high resolution topographical LiDAR
data to assess which gullies have the greatest control over landscape
scale water tables. |
The use of LiDAR
data has already been explored by NT (Haycock Associates) to identify
intact peat domes and to set priorities for conservation. Leeds
University has successfully developed a hydrological model for the
Upper Wharfe Dale (joint funding by NT, Yorkshire Dales NPA and
NERC) to set priorities for gully blocking locations (see App. II).
This model would need model parameterisation and fitting to the
proposed Bleaklow data set.
Already 62km² have been surveyed by
LiDAR on the National Trust Estate, however not covering Moors for
the Future or EN sites (Shelf Moor, Joseph Patch, Shining Clough
Moss). An additional 25 km² would be needed to cover the whole
Bleaklow Massive. |
 |
- What are appropriate materials?
- What are appropriate designs?
- Should there be active re-vegetation?
The National Trust has extensive experience
with gully blocks in the Dark Peak. These will be quantitatively
evaluated regarding e.g. effect, costs, maintenance, visual impact.
In collaboration with MFF. A Gully Blocking 'Guide to Best Practice'
will be produced linking Questions 1 - 3; the report will be available
early 2005 |
Gully
Blocking in deep peat 2005 - 6053kb
Appendix
- 1739kb
Gully
Blocking poster - 153kb
back
to top
|
|
|