Manual water table measurements from experimental microcatchments in peatlands at Stalybridge, Peak District, UK, 2019-2022
Johnston, A.R., Allott, T.E.H., Edokpa, D., Kay, M., Rees, J.L., Shuttleworth, E.L., Spencer, T., Evans, M.G. (2024). Manual water table measurements from experimental microcatchments in peatlands at Stalybridge, Peak District, UK, 2019-2022. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/e9ffe8aa-3c17-4f3a-a3e7-5ab3add0af07
This dataset contains depth to water table measurements from ten experimental microcatchments (0.4-3.9 hectares) on Stalybridge Moor, an upland peatland in the Peak District, UK. The data extend from 2019 to 2022, covering a period before and after gully blocking took place in six microcatchments, with four microcatchment kept as a non-restored control. Monthly measurements from October-February, summer/autumn.
Depth to the water table from the peat surface was measured using a blow tube in PVC dipwells which were installed in the peat surface. The height of the dipwell protrusion from the peat surface is also measured and then subtracted from the recorded depth of the blow tube to get the depth of water table from the peat surface. Within each microcatchment, there were two dipwell clusters, one near the gully edge and one far from the gully edge. Each cluster contained five individual dipwells. Each cluster had a peat anchor installed, a metal rod inserted down to the mineral layer, to serve as a vertical datum to monitor potential changes in dipwell protrusion height (E.g. accidental or intentional human interference with installed equipment).
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre