Modelling the effectiveness of land‐based natural flood management in a large, permeable catchment

In the United Kingdom, woodland planting and soil crop management are being promoted as approaches to tackling flooding. Although evidence is limited, it thought tree regenerative agriculture practices such crop–herbal ley pasture rotations increase infiltration, water storage evapotranspiration, potentially reducing A process-based soil–water–vegetation model was coupled with a semi-distributed groundwater explore impact of these interventions on peak low flows in large, groundwater-dominated catchment. Land use change were found have limited potential reduce flooding this setting. Herbal ley–crop produced <1% reduction flow for return periods >2 years, levels judged be realistic maximum reductions 0.2%–2.6%, depending species. Broadscale spruce only scenario produce significant (16.0%–24.7% at 1–15 years); however, level required achieve estimated Q95 by ~39%, which would likely negative implications security ecological river flows. The land-based natural flood prevention permeable catchments should not overstated.