Final Report: Skell Valley Catchment Scale Monitoring

A comprehensive long-term monitoring study of the Skell Valley catchment in North Yorkshire, UK, reveals critical insights into the dynamics of flashy river systems like the River Skell. The research, conducted before, during, and after the installation of Natural Flood Management (NFM) interventions and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), demonstrates how rapid precipitation events significantly impact river levels and sediment loads, posing flooding risks to downstream sites such as Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. Notably, the study captured Storm Barbet, a major storm event, providing unprecedented data on the catchment's response to extreme weather conditions. By integrating meteorological, hydrodynamic, and sediment data with water quality measurements collected by volunteers, this extensive dataset offers a robust framework for assessing the effectiveness of NFM and NBS over time. The findings underscore the importance of long-term monitoring in understanding river behavior and mitigating flood risks in vulnerable heritage sites.

Brown, H., Keevil, G., & Hodgson, D. (2025). Final Report: Skell Valley Catchment Scale Monitoring (I. Mann & G. Crisp, Eds.; Version 1.0). iCASP. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.18802137