Engineering structures known as check dams are built with the intention of managing streams. The effectiveness of such structures can be expressed by quantifying the reduction of the sediment flux after their implementation. In this contribution, we estimate and compare the volumes of sediment transported in a mountain stream for engineered and non-engineered conditions. We found that without check dams the mean sediment flux would be ca. 10 times larger in comparison with the current situation.

In this study, we simulate flood managed aquifer recharge – the process of intentionally inundating land to replenish depleted aquifers – at a site imaged with geophysical equipment. Results show that layers of clay and silt trap recharge water above the water table, where it is inaccessible to both plants and groundwater wells. Sensitivity analyses also identify the main sources of uncertainty when simulating managed aquifer recharge, helping to improve future forecasts of site performance.

Facing the increasing challenge of sustainable crop supply with limited water resources due to climate change, large-scale responses in the water footprint (WF) and WF benchmarks of crop production remain unclear. Here, we quantify the effects of future climate change scenarios on the WF and WF benchmarks of maize and wheat in time and space in China. Differences in crop growth between rain-fed and irrigated farms and among furrow-, sprinkler-, and micro-irrigated regimes are identified.

Localized impacts of changing precipitation patterns on surface hydrology are often assessed at a high spatial resolution. Here we introduce a stochastic method that efficiently generates gridded daily precipitation in a future climate. The method works out a stochastic model that can describe a high-resolution data product in a reference period and form a realistic precipitation generator under a projected future climate. A case study of nine catchments in Norway shows that it works well.

The protection of subsurface aquifers from contamination is an ongoing environmental challenge. Some areas of the underground have a natural capacity for reducing contaminants. In this research these areas are mapped in 3D along with information about, e.g., sand and clay, which indicates whether contaminated water from the surface will travel through these areas. This mapping technique will be fundamental for more reliable risk assessment in water quality protection.