RDE708 Strategic Flood Risk Solutions for Lowland Peat Restoration

The principal aim of this project is to provide a step-by-step guide to the flood risk assessment requirements for landowners considering ecohydrological restoration of lowland peat sites, in the context of lowland peat sites with protected status in south Cumbria.

Many lowland peat sites have undergone extensive physical and hydrological modification, including:

Peat cutting with associated drainage to reduce water content of the peat.

Drainage to reduce the water table and allow the land to be used for pastoral or arable agriculture and forestry.

This, combined with a mosaic of ownership and land use history means that such sites are reduced in their natural extent, with severely compromised hydrology and an absence of peat-forming vegetation. This results in degradation of the remaining peat and a net emission of CO2.

Ecohydrological restoration of peatland sites involves disabling man-made and modified drainage using a variety of methods, to reduce hydraulic conductivity and re-instate natural flow pathways. Methods include drain-blocking and cell bunding. These restoration techniques often require permits/planning permission from different bodies, where their safety to infrastructure in the vicinity must be demonstrable.