The Status of Suspended Sediments in the High Peak Moorland Streams: Indices of Erosion

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The Status of Suspended Sediments in the High Peak Moorland Streams: Indices of Erosion The Status of Suspended Sediments in the High Peak Moorland Streams: Indices of Erosion. _________________________________________________________________________ A dissertation submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of MSc. Environmental Monitoring, Modelling & Reconstruction in the Faculty of Humanities 2005 Julian R.G. Ballester BSc. (Hons.) School of Environment and Development University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K. Table of Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................p.5 Declaration ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………………..p.6 Copy-Right Statement …………………………………………………………………………….……………………………p.7 Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………p.8 1. Introduction ………………………………………………..………………………………………………………….………….. p.9 1.1 Sediment transport…………………………………………………………….………………….…………..…… p.10 1.2 Sediment Supply……………………………………………………………..…………………….……………….…p.10 1.3 Sediment Rating-Curves…………………………………………………………………….…………..……….p.11 1.4 Aims………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..………..p.13 2. Methodology ……………………………………………………..…………………………………………..……………..…. p.14 2.1 Site Selection……………………………………………………..……………………………………….……….…… p.14 2.2 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………………………….……..…….p.15 2.3 Calibration……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….……p.15 2.4 Quantifying Erosion………………………………………………………………………..…..……..…………. P.16 3. Results ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..p.18 3.1 Spatial Variability……………………………………………………………………………………....……………..p.18 3.1.1 Hern Clough………………………………………................………………………………..………….p.18 3.1.2 Oyster Clough……………………………………………………………………….……………………...p.19 3.1.3 Torside………………………………………………………..……………………..………………..…………p.20 3.1.4 Upper North Grain……………………………………………………………….……………….……p.20 3.2 Temporal Variability...............................................................................................…...p.20 3.3 Catchment Erosion…………………………………………………………………………..……………..…..…..p.22 4. Discussion ………………………………………………………………………….…………………..……..……….………….p.24 4.1 Spatial Variation in Sediment Delivery………………………………………………….……..……..p.24 4.2 Temporal Variation in Sediment Delivery……………..............................…………………p.26 4.3 Implications and Applicability .................................................................................p.27 4.4 Limitations .....................................................................................................................p.28 1 5. Conclusion and Recommendations for Future Work .............................................p.30 References ……………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………..……..p.32 Appendix 1 : Monitored data sets for Hern Clough, Oyster Clough and Upper North Grain ......................................................................................................................p.35 Appendix 2 : Discharge and SSC calibration for Hern Clough and Oyster Clough....................................................................................................................p.38 Appendix 3 : Individual sediment rating-curves for Hern Clough, Oyster Clough, Torside and Upper North Grain …………………………………..………………....….…...p.40 Appendix 4 : Individual sediment rating-curves for 14 storms from the Upper North Grain, dating form March 2003 to November 2004..……………………………..p.44 Word Count: 7,290 2 List of Figures Figure 1 : Location of the five monitored peat catchments………………………………..…………..p.14 Figure 2 : A rising-stage sampler with one tube for inlet and one tube for air exhaust. The intake tubes were positioned so that there was a few centimetres difference between them with the intention of taking samples at regular intervals .………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….p. 16 Figure 3 : A true colour composite showing the clear differences in spectral response between bare peat, vegetation and mineral soils. …………….…………………………….p.17 Figure 4 : Rating curves for each of the catchments based on either monitored and calibrated data or past records. The individual rating curves for each catchment can be seen in Appendix 3 .……………………………….……………………………..p.18 Figure 5: A collection of the rating curves based on 14 storms over the period of March 2003 to November 2004, for the Upper North Grain…………………….…p.21 Figure 6: Results of the GIS applied catchment analysis show the range of erosion levels that the sites cover. The catchments are not depicted to scale………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….….p.23 Figure 7: A Scatter graph showing the relationship between percentage bare peat for each catchment and the gradient of its sediment rating-curve…………………..p.25 Figure 8: A Scatter graph showing the relationship between percentage bare peat for each catchment and the size of the catchment area………………………………..…….p.25 3 List of Tables Table 1: Summary of the rating-curves used in temporal analysis (figure 5), including the rating curve equation, r 2 values and the curve gradients………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........p.21 4 Abstract: Peat erosion is the main source of suspended sediment in the output streams of peat catchments. This can have serious ecological and economical effects downstream. In theory the suspended sediment status of a catchment’s outlet can be used as an index of the catchment’s level of erosion. To test this, the suspended sediment statuses of four catchments in the South Pennines, whose differing levels of erosion were estimated using remote sensing and GIS, were monitored for stage and turbidity using field probes and data loggers. These were calibrated into discharge (cm 3/s) and suspended sediment concentration (mg/l) (SSC) using stage-discharge and turbidity- SSC relationships based on field samples. These were then used to produce sediment rating-curves to describe the sediment delivery regimes of each catchment and therefore study the spatial effects on sediment delivery. Past records of SSC and discharge for one catchment spanning over a year were also collected to investigate the temporal effects on sediment delivery and to ensure that any spatial effects witnessed were not due to differences in time. The sediment rating-curves varied considerably more in gradient between catchments than over time, suggesting that spatial differences are the dominant control on the suspended sediment status. These changes in gradient correlated extremely well with changes in the percentage of bare peat within the catchment (r 2=0.9851), suggesting that suspended sediment could well be used as an index of erosion – an extremely useful tool in peatland management. Though not as significant, temporal factors also showed their effects on sediment delivery and as a result should not be totally excluded from any suspended sediment based index. Keywords: Field monitoring, GIS, peat erosion, sediment rating-curves, South Pennines, stage calibration, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), turbidity calibration. 5 I declare that no portion of the work referred to in this dissertation has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. Julian Ballester 6 Copyright Statement • Copyright in text of this dissertation rests with the author. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the author. Details may be obtained from the appropriate Graduate Office. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the author. • The ownership of any intellectual property rights which may be described in this dissertation is vested in the University of Manchester, subject to any prior agreement to the contrary, and may not be made available for use by third parties without the written permission of the University, which will prescribe the terms and conditions of any such agreement. • Further information on the conditions under which disclosures and exploitation may take place is available from the Head of School of Environment and Development. 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMNETS The Author would like to thank Moors for the Future for funding the project and the School of Environment and Development at the University of Manchester for the use of all the equipment used in this project. In particular he would also like to thank Dr. Martin Evans for his guidance and support throughout the project. Special thanks also go to Naomi Regan, Richard Pawson and Daniel Lord for all their help in the field. 8 1. Introduction Though peatlands such as the High Peak Moorland only cover a total land cover of around 8.6% in the British Isles, it is mainly in the uplands and as a result have a large bearing on the stream flow and erosion of most of the major rivers in Britain (Labadz et al. 1991). The suspended sediment in streams from the erosion of such peatlands is now recognised for its detrimental effect not only to the environment downstream, but also the economy – Walling (1988) estimated costs could be as much as $1 billion in the U.S.A. at 1988 values. In terms of weight, suspended sediment concentration (SSC) readings from peatland catchments are typical for a British upland catchment, but peat’s low density means that volumetrically it is a problem, especially when concerned with such effects as reservoir infilling. The South Pennine
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