Evaluating the impact of river restoration on the local groundwater and ecological system: a case study in NE Flanders.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluating the impact of river restoration on the local groundwater and ecological system: a case study in NE Flanders.

AU - Rogiers, Bart

AU - Lermytte, Johan

AU - De Bie, Els

AU - Batelaan, Okke

N1 - Score = 10

PY - 2011/5

Y1 - 2011/5

N2 - River restoration changes the interaction between groundwater and surface water. Therefore, it is expected to have an impact on ecosystems at the interface between groundwater and surface water. Quantifying and generalizing the level of change of this interaction for different hydrogeological environments is scientifically and practically challenging. In this paper we investigated the impact of different restoration measures and the effect of the temporal resolution of the groundwater modeling methodology. The interaction is analysed in the water bodies and wetlands in the valley of the Zwarte Beek, one of the most valuable nature reserves of Flanders. We used transient groundwater modeling to evaluate the impact on the groundwater system of the wetlands. Simulations with 14 days time steps were required to detect a considerably greater range of groundwater fluctuation than indicated by the seasonal steady-state simulation. It is shown that the river restoration project will probably result in an improvement of the structure of the watercourse rather than the rewetting of the valley.

AB - River restoration changes the interaction between groundwater and surface water. Therefore, it is expected to have an impact on ecosystems at the interface between groundwater and surface water. Quantifying and generalizing the level of change of this interaction for different hydrogeological environments is scientifically and practically challenging. In this paper we investigated the impact of different restoration measures and the effect of the temporal resolution of the groundwater modeling methodology. The interaction is analysed in the water bodies and wetlands in the valley of the Zwarte Beek, one of the most valuable nature reserves of Flanders. We used transient groundwater modeling to evaluate the impact on the groundwater system of the wetlands. Simulations with 14 days time steps were required to detect a considerably greater range of groundwater fluctuation than indicated by the seasonal steady-state simulation. It is shown that the river restoration project will probably result in an improvement of the structure of the watercourse rather than the rewetting of the valley.

KW - Transient groundwater modeling

KW - channel re-meandering

KW - ecohydrological predictions

KW - conceptual model uncertainty

UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_113542

UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/8014

M3 - Article

VL - 14

SP - 265

EP - 276

JO - Geologica Belgica

JF - Geologica Belgica

SN - 1374-8505

IS - 3-4

ER -