e-Brampton at Lancaster University

e-Brampton

Brampton NFM effectiveness monitoring

Contracted data collection period 1^st April 2025 to 31^st March 2027

The strategy for effective hydrological monitoring of Brampton NFM (e-Brampton) comprises of continuous level and discharge gauging upstream and downstream of the Moss House Floodplain of Bramptonfell Farm. These data are recorded every 5-mins, in combination with rainfall measurements integrated over the same period (using the same telemetry). A flood-only storage bund is to be built by others in early 2026 that is located between the two flumes. LU trapezoidal flumes installed in locations that do not interfere with the performance of the flume. Dilution gauging used to check for any deviations from the flume rating (continuous level-discharge calibration).

eVol example

LU-owned Upstream (left) and downstream (right) discharge gauging stations on Brampton Beck, with associated automatic raingauge at the upstream station

The Lancaster e-Brampton project has five contracted tasks:

Task 1 One day of high-level / specialist time (Principal Investigator, PI) to order the sensor/telemetry/flume, commission the flume installer and build the telemetry. The equipment was ordered by the PI as soon as LU have received the signed contract and setup an EAA7000 code for the PI.
Task 2 Once equipment arrived at LU, three days for high-level / specialist time (PI) was needed to install the sensors and telemetry systems, and oversee flume installation.
Task 3 Once the two flumes with their telemetry (and single raingauge) installed - data collection from LU-owned flumes began for an initial testing period up to start of contracted on 1 April 2025.
Task 4 Each year (of two year contracted monitoring project), the PI spends one half day on site, checking the monitoring systems with the contracted support of the local farmer.
Task 5 Each year (of two year period of monitoring and 6-monthly data sharing), the PI spends one half day equivalent per year on checking the data. This half day also includes downloading the data from the server every 6-months to create a file comprising of date, time (GMT), rainfall, level and discharge in the upstream and downstream flumes (5-min resolution). Saved as an XLSX file, is transferred by a single email to Brampton 2 Zero every 6-months of the 2-year contracted monitoring period (1 Apr 2025 - 31 Mar 2027). Data IP retained by Lancaster University, so that interpretation of the observed dynamics may be undertaken by the PI external to the e-Brampton contract, as per requirements of a lower-cost LU research 7000 (rather than commercial 6000) contract.

LU-owned Brampton discharge stations (live rain, level and discharge graphs)

This network of Lancaster-University owned monitoring stations is maintained under a research contract (to 31 Mar 2027) to deliver rainfall, channel level and discharge data (on a 6-monthly basis) to Brampton 2 Zero CIC.

Funding sources

Environment Agency (EAA7989) via Brampton 2 Zero CIC contract (research contract with LU data IP retained)

Investigators

Nick A Chappell (PI), with local farmer support

Project partner

Brampton 2 Zero CIC

Outputs

First quality assured data file (5-min upstream and downstream discharge, plus rainfall covering 1 Apr to 30 Sep 2025) delivered to Brampton CIC on 1 Oct 2025. File: LU_data_Brampton_1Apr_30Sep25-2025_10_01_06_47_53_UTC.xlsx

contact details:

Lancaster Environment Centre
LANCASTER UNIVERSITY
Lancaster LA1 4YQ
United Kingdom

n.chappell@lancaster.ac.uk