(Erosion Prediction in Ungauged Basins: Integrating Methods and Techniques (Proceedings of Symposium HS01 held during IUGG2003 at Sapporo, July 2003), IAHS Publication No. 279, 2003, pp. 59–67).
The estimation of sediment yield in upland environments is a difficult task, compounded by the scarcity of long-term environmental monitoring. This is a significant problem when assessing sedimentation in upland reservoirs where sediment budget information is limited. Concerns about climate change and the likelihood of more frequent extreme events emphasise the need for predictive capability without reliance on gauging records. The results reported in this paper from part of an EU-funded programme (WARMICE) investigating the potential impact of sedimentation on water resource management in upland environments. Evaluation of the sediment transfer system of a representative reservoir catchment in the North Pennines, UK, has used reservoir core records to reconstruct sediment accumulation rates and infer changes in sediment supply. The paper examines how geomorphological evidence, coupled with short-term monitoring and rainfall records, can be used to construct approximate sediment budgets. It also demonstrates how recent climatic variations identified in the region have impacted on the sediment transfer system.
Reservoir sedimentation, Sediment budget, Uplands
