Out looking at a floodplain to see how to rehydrate the riverscape, came across this awesome tree fall....nearly even 3 way split...like to think something dramatic like a lightning strike caused it!

Interestingly the Wild Woodbury riverscape is filling up the sponge/watertable - it bounces in places! Not just floodplain (surface) storage.

Back for winter visit to a reconnected riverscape with realigned river set free to its natural floodplain. This isn't flooding. Watertable filling nicely, natural multi channel, also pref for a main thread. Connected to an ID'd natural fp-no need for a digger engineered surface!

Not all riverscapes are floodplains. Been using the same approaches for "Stage 0" restoration for rehydrating mires where channels drain the watertable. amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.thegua…

The watertable is filling up nicely downstream @Seb_Elwood! Stage-0 river restoration Dorset Wildlife Trust Wild Woodbury rewilding site.

This is something I've only really observed in the last few years. Used to be understanding susp sediment was mostly about temporal like ca. 90% of load moves in 5% of time (around 20 days). Now spatial aspects just as important due to very local weather x.com/Sediment_Mattr…

NFM Evidence. ID a high risk single field with morphologically active runoff path in GIS. Install corner bund.  Level monitor. Bunded storage fills in 2-3 hours (= speed flow delivered d/s). Storage drains back in 12 plus hrs. Ca. 20m3 water slowed to downstream road flood spot.

As we head out of such a wet winter, it's encouraging to see the headwater storage created by informed identification of simple locations where water becomes detached from a natural path and allowing water to be unconstrained. Low cost to do in the scheme but effective.

So, floodplain reconnection (“stage 0”/bead style) is en vogue, but it’s not suitable everywhere. A big problem to address is channel incision as vertical detachment from a natural floodplain. Some recent success using woody debris to trap gravels and raise the river bed - 1yr in

Closest I’ve got to an Oregon-like Stage 0! Low cost putting water back into disconnected natural floodplain. No digger grading just ID a detachment point, dam up the start of perched channel & set water free. Thanks Dorset Peat Partnership & RSK Hab Man for making my vision real

A quick 1-ish min guide to a simple Stage 0 (with pictures!). Done in a morning, 75m reconnected, cost-a bit of time. Unloved headwater wooded valley bottoms with single (incised) channels are big opportunity for quick wins; areas that can't be farmed. Lots in urban settings too.

When I was asked to restore hydrology at Wild Woodbury I focused solely on water & creating the “Stage 0”..blindly assumed (not my expertise!) habitat would respond. 2 winters in, Dorset Wildlife Trust find ecology, WQ & carbon responses changing ploughed fields. Sort the water first!

More on other leaky dam function than just holding water in channel. Used this one to cut (avulsion) new channel. Discarge (Q) = speed (v) by cross section area (a), increase width/area then you reduce speed for the same Q. Making space for water...at a push Stage 8 river form!

If you can’t wait & need to engineer the outcome, interested to see an approach to replicate a mature anastomosing system for floodplain reconnection rather than “tomato on the vine” single wiggle with side ponds (which doesn’t address incision/maintains a transfer environment)

Out looking at a perched watercourse for possible reconnection to the valley floor... and nature beat me to it! Natural tree fall leaky dam pushes water where it should be. Will talk to land owner try to make this sealed for low flows and permanent. Natural process ALWAYS wins!

Update on my mission to map natural processes to drive actual NFM interventions. Moving from overview approaches to field reality...to selecting true locations for measures on the ground! Success in refining ID of active runoff paths & now drainage/ditches for real connectivity.

The concept of restoring flow to "floodplains"....and fully as "Stage 0" applies to all valley bottoms including peat bogs. Just completed a re-joining of a perched drain back into its valley floor to rehydrate peatland. Hydrology's about topography not the channel!

Headwater channels aligned outside the valley floor are easy riverscape restorations. Refining an approach - ID opportunity... look for where nature directs flow.... define a natural floodplain... find the hot-spot of detachment... infill/divert/lower banks. Rehydration!

Headwater riverscape creation "Stage 0" for only 5% the cost of larger schemes... but similar lengths of connectivity. 20 of these = more realistic for full landscape recovery? youtu.be/m8hSgPhTl5c?si…