1. Peatscapes: Monitoring of Hydrology and
Water Quality at Geltsdale and Priorsdale
Report of Phase 1: Nov 2007 – Mar 2009
Dr Jennine Jonczyk, Dr Mark Wilkinson, Dr David Rimmer and Dr Paul Quinn

2. Some of the features in the catchment
Pilot pond
Overland flow following gradient of slope Leaky
stream gauge
wooden
barrier
PILOT POND
STREAM Overflow
SPILL
Woodland
Leakage
R1 stream
Diversion gauge
structure
Belford Burn
Roughly 200m
1.35km 1.15km 1.85km
R1 R2 R3 BEL
Upper Belford Burn
“Pilot pond”
Features 1 to 3

3. Some of the features in the catchment
1.35km 1.15km 1.85km
R1 R2 R3 BEL
Upper Belford Burn
“Pilot pond”
Features 1 to 3

4. Some of the features in the catchment
1.35km 1.15km 1.85km
R1 R2 R3 BEL
Upper Belford Burn
“Pilot pond”
Features 1 to 3

5. …but that was last week!
Lower Lady’s well feature

6. Outline
1. Questions to answer
2. Hydrology
3. WQ
4. Peatscapes II

7. Questions to answer
How does grip blocking effect :-
1. Water table
2. Water colour (& Dissolved Organic Carbon; DOC)
3. Suspended sediment
HOW are we investigating this?
1. (Water table) using pressure transducers in the peat
2. (Colour) grab samples taken from grips and downstream pts and
measuring DOC and absorbance in lab.
3. (SS) Filtering grab sample

8. Working Hypothesis
ARE grips like open drainage ditches?
What happens when it rains?
Q
WT

9. Blocked Grip
Generic
Blocked Grip
experimental
Unblocked Grip Lay-out
Unblocked Grip
Dip-wells with pressure transducers upslope and
downslope of grips
Dip-wells at mid-point between grips
Water quality sample from grips.

10. Relative water level in grips (cms)
25
/0
9/
20
07
00
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
:0
0
14
/1
1/
20
07
00
:0
0
03
/0
1/
20
08
00
:0
0
22
/0
2/
Grip 1
20
08
00
: 00
12
/0
4/
20
08
00
:0
0
Grip 2 (Blocked)
01
/0
6/
20
08
00
:0
0
rainfall 21
/0
7/
20
08
Geltsdale Hydrology: Grips
00
:0
0
09
/0
9/
20
08
00
: 00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
20.00
18.00
16.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
15-min rainfall (mm)

11. Geltsdale Hydrology: Water table
25/09/2007 14/11/2007 03/01/2008 22/02/2008 12/04/2008 01/06/2008 21/07/2008 09/09/2008
00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00
0
-50
Depth of water table from surface (cms)
-100
-150
-200
-250
Downslope of grip1 Upslope of grip 1 Downslope of grip 2 Upslope of grip 2

12. 09
/ 03 Grip water level (cm)
/2
00
8
09 00
/0 :
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
-5
0
5
3/ 00
2 00
8
10 16
/0 :1
3/ 5
20
08
11 08
/0 :3
3/ 0
20
grip 3
08
11 00
/0 :4
3/ 5
20
08
12 17
/0 :0
3/ 0
20
08
13 09
/0 :1
3/ 5
20
08
13 01
/0 :3
E.g. Data anomalies
3/ 0
20
08
grip 2 (blocked)
14 17
/0 :4
3/ 5
20
08
15 10
/0 :0
3/ 0
20
08
15 02
/0 :1
3/ 5
20
08
16 18
/0 :3
3/ 0
20
08
17 10
/0 :4
3/ 5
20
08
Temp - 850mAoD (°C)
03
:0
0
0
1
2
3
4
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
Temperature (°C)

13. 02
/0
5 /2 Relative water level in grips (cms)
00
8
00
:0
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0
5
0
07
/0
5 /2
00
8
00
:0
0
12
/0
5 /2
00
8
00
:0
0
Grip 1
17
/0
5/
20
08
00
: 00
22
/0
5/
20
08
Grip 2 (Blocked)
00
: 00
27
/0
5/
20
08
00
:0
rainfall
0
01
/0
6/
20
08
00
:0
0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
20.0
18.0
16.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
Geltsdale Hydrology:- Response in grips in May 2008
15 min rainfall (mm)

14. Geltsdale Hydrology: Water table response in May 2009
02/05/2008 00:00 07/05/2008 00:00 12/05/2008 00:00 17/05/2008 00:00 22/05/2008 00:00 27/05/2008 00:00 01/06/2008 00:00
0
-10
Depth of water table from surface (cms)
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
-80
-90
-100
Downslope of grip 1 Upslope of grip 1 Downslope of grip 2 Upslope of grip 2

15. 30
/0 Relative water level in grips (cms)
8/
20
08
00
:0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0
01
/0
9/
20
08
00
:0
0
03
/0
9/
20
08
00
: 00
05
/0
9/
20
Grip 1
08
00
: 00
07
/0
9/
20
08
00
: 00
09
/0
Grip 2 (Blocked)
9/
20
08
00
: 00
11
/0
9/
20
08
Rainfall
00
: 00
13
/0
9/
20
08
00
: 00
Geltsdale Hydrology: Response in grips during Sept 2008
8
6
4
2
0
20
18
16
14
12
10

16. Geltsdale Hydrology:- response in water table during
Sept 08 storm
30/08/2008 01/09/2008 03/09/2008 05/09/2008 07/09/2008 09/09/2008 11/09/2008 13/09/2008
00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00 00:00
0
Depth of water table from surface (cms)
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
-80
Downslope of grip 1 Upslope of grip 1 Downslope of grip 2 Upslope of grip 2

17. Observations in unblocked grips
No response in water table position - no matter where they are
Flashy spiky flow in grips.

18. Observations in blocked grip
Nice and smooth – less spiky and less flashy response in grip
Water table position is again not responding to flow

19. Working Hypothesis
• Grips and Pipes are ‘off’ even though there may be a water table present
• Small additions of percolating rain – connect all the pipes and grip together
• What comes in goes out
• When rain stops, flow stops and pipes empty
Active flow paths
in the acrotelm (top) layer
pipes
grip
WT

20. Water Quality

21. Colour
• Water colour is caused by the presence of
dissolved organic compounds –
predominantly humic and fulvic acids, which
are the products of decomposition from
organic soils.
• Current EU Drinking water standard for
Water colour is :- 20 Hazen
• Colour of River Tees is: 60-120 Hazen

22. Colour
Geltsdale Colour (Hazen)
Pre-blocking Unblocked Blocked All
Grips
23/11/2007 165 147 156bc Priorsdale
15/01/2008 105 164 135bc Colour (Hazen)
Blocked Unblocked All
07/02/2008 48 51 50de grips
25/03/2008 34 35 35e 27/11/2007 77.0 77.4 77.2abc
01/05/2008 34 118 76cde 15/01/2008 39.0 41.7 40.4bc
05/06/2008 185 216 200ab 07/02/2008 10.9 20.7 15.8c
01/07/2008 269 244 257a 25/03/2008 frozen * *
02/10/2008 146 149 148bcd 06/06/2008 218.5 83.8 151.2a
13/11/2008 168 125 146bc 01/07/2008 154.4 117.7 136.1ab
27/02/2009 97 139 118bcde 27/02/2009 123.5 57.0 90.3abc
25/03/2009 109 95 102cde 25/03/2009 62.5 29.0 45.8bc
Mean since blocking 121 122 122 Mean 98.0 61.1 79.5

23. DOC
• Dissolved Organic carbon is derived from organic matter
and has a strong correlation with WATER COLOUR.
•DOC is an important component of the carbon cycle in
streams and a primary food source.
•Evidence for upward trend in DOC concentrations related
to atmospheric deposition changes. (Worrall et al, 2004;
Evans et al, 2006)

24. DOC
Geltsdale DOC (mg/l)
Pre-blocking Unblocked Blocked All
grips
23/11/2007 35.1 32.9 34.0bc
15/01/2008 24.0 25.3 24.6cde Priorsdale DOC (mg/l)
Post-blocking Blocked Unblocked All
07/02/2008 17.8 18.0 17.9e grips
25/03/2008 15.6 17.3 16.5e 27/11/2007 21.6 21.8 21.7ab
01/05/2008 15.6 27.7 21.7de 15/01/2008 15.6 16.2 15.9ab
05/06/2008 38.0 42.2 40.1ab 07/02/2008 12.4 13.2 12.8b
01/07/2008 51.1 46.8 49.0a 25/03/2008
02/10/2008 32.4 32.7 32.5bc 06/06/2008 43.8 22.8 33.3a
13/11/2008 36.6 29.3 33.0bc
01/07/2008 26.0 21.8 23.9ab
27/02/2009 24.3 31.5 27.9cd
27/02/2009 29.0 18.5 23.8ab
25/03/2009 26.5 24.2 25.4cde
Mean since 25/03/2009 20.0 14.5 17.3b
blocking 28.7 30.0 29.3 Mean 24.1 18.4 21.2

25. E4/E6 ratio
• Ratio of humic acid(E4) and fulvic acid(E6)
• Used to represent the degree of humification in peat
Humification is decomposition of vegetation…..
• Ratio below 5 classified as humic
above 5 classified as fulvic

26. E4/E6 ratio
Geltsdale E4/E6
Pre-blocking Unblocked Blocked All
grips
23/11/2007 8.90 3.60 6.25
15/01/2008 4.88 3.76 4.32
Priorsdale E4:E6
Post-blocking 0.00 Blocked Unblocked All
07/02/2008 9.08 10.38 9.73 grips
25/03/2008 3.83 7.25 5.54 27/11/2007 13.5 9.7 11.6a
01/05/2008 3.83 58.00 30.92 15/01/2008 11.0 2.1 6.6ab
05/06/2008 9.54 10.40 9.97 07/02/2008 10.0 7.9 8.9ab
01/07/2008 13.09 15.06 14.07 25/03/2008
02/10/2008 6.02 6.70 6.36 06/06/2008 5.4 7.0 6.2ab
13/11/2008 3.29 3.03 3.16 01/07/2008 2.4 2.1 2.3b
27/02/2009 16.50 10.45 13.47 27/02/2009 6.2 10.0 8.1ab
25/03/2009 7.88 2.10 4.99 25/03/2009 4.1 5.5 4.8b
Mean since blocking 8.12 13.97 10.73 Mean 7.5 6.3 6.9

27. Suspended Sediment
• Some studies on IMPACTS of suspended sediments
from peatlands
(Holden 2005, 2006; Rothwell et al 2005; Yeloff et al
2005; White et al 1996; Stewart 1963 )
• Little data on erosion rates or supply to main channels
(Holden 2007)
• Ranges of SS from Holden 2007 at peak discharge were
Undisturbed catchment (1) - 2.5 mg/l
Grips (3) - 25-14 mg/l
Blocked grips (2) - 0.2- 0.14 mg/l

28. Suspended sediments
Geltsdale SS (mg/l)
Pre-blocking Unblocked Blocked All grips Bridge SS (mg/l)
23/11/2007 Blocked Unblocked All Bottom
15/01/2008 2.0 11.0 6.5 9 Priorsdale grips slope
Post-blocking
27/11/2007 6.5 77 41.75 1.00
07/02/2008 23.5 17.5 20.5 7
25/03/2008 12.0 27.0 19.5 3
15/01/2008 11.5 3 7.25 5.00
01/05/2008 07/02/2008 6 5.5 5.75 14.00
05/06/2008 25/03/2008
01/07/2008 06/06/2008
02/10/2008 9.0 1.0 5.0 4 01/07/2008
13/11/2008 3.0 14.5 8.8 1
27/02/2009
27/02/2009
25/03/2009 4.0 1.0 2.5 2 25/03/2009 8 63.5 35.75 1.00
Mean since blocking 10.3 10.2 10.2 3 Mean 8 37.25 22.625 5.25

29. Peatscapes II
New hydrological hypothesis Active flow paths
in the acrotelm layer
Pipes in the
catotelm layer
WT grip
• Moving pressure transducers closer to the grip edge to see if there are any
edge effects from unblocked grips
• Mapping all observation sites to look at the effect of surface topography on the
recorded depth to the water table
• Putting pressure transducers in the shallow acrotelm layer to study the activity
of runoff within the layer. The layer could be producing a temporary perched
water table and the instruments will pick this up.
• In Priorsdale we could move the flow gauge from one unblocked grip to the
other to see if it has higher flow rates.

30. Summary
Hydrology
• Unblocked grips respond rapidly to rainfall
• RO smoothed in blocked grips
• Some attenuation from blocked grip area and buffered by interaction with
acrotelm area but still HIGH RO to main channels
• New hypothesis- ON/OFF switch
WQ
• No clear effect of blocking on colour and DOC at either site YET
• Increase of colour and DOC in blocked (like Worrall et al , 2007 and Dodd,
2008)
•Seasonality
Peatscapes II
• Moving some instrumentation to test new hypothesis