Nature Based Solutions (NbS) in the Upper Cam Valley
The construction and monitoring of runoff attenuation features (RAFs) aims to provide further evidence of the benefits of NbS measures for water security and allow the ground truthing of the Environment Agency’s NbS for water availability mapping and modelling conducted in 2022-2023 for the Cam catchment.
Monitoring will assess RAFs for:
- Changes in seepage, groundwater recharge and evaporation processes to support water resources;
- The identification of any changes in surface water flow regimes from sub-headwater catchments to support water resources.
As well as supporting base flows, RAFs offer the potential to:
- Reduce the chance of downstream flooding;
- Reduce nutrient loads in waterbodies;
- Mitigate soil and carbon losses, by raising water tables and keeping soils wetter;
- Improve visual amenity and potentially access to nature in the farmed landscape;
- Support biodiversity recovery through creating corridors of small wetlands.
The project is in its early stages, with the aim to install the first few RAFs by September 2024. However, as an overview, the modelling conducted to date suggests, RAFs covering just 0.14% of the catchment (approximately 400 RAFs) could increase long-term baseflow by 8.1 megalitres of water per day. The project is looking to validate these modelled results via comprehensive monitoring.
More information: https://wre.org.uk/nbs-field-trials-in-the-upper-cam-valley/
