Flood retention in the Forest - Determination of relevant impact factors for the retention capacity in the forest using field-work and hydro-numerical simulations

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Holger Schüttrumpf; Dr.-Ing. Stefanie Wolf
• Subject Area: Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management ; Geotechnics, Hydraulic Engineering
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 570083750

The project “Flood retention in the Forest” deals with the investigation of factors influencing the retention capacity of forests to improve flood protection. During the catastrophic flood in western Germany in mid-July 2021, high runoff accumulations from forest areas were observed both in the Ahr valley and in the Inde and Vichtbach catchment areas. The potential of water retention in forests is therefore elementary for flood prevention. Despite the positive characteristics of forest areas, studies show that human intervention and poor forestry practices can have a negative impact on water retention. In the project “Flood retention in the Forest”, funding is being applied for to carry out field trials for the differentiated evaluation of retention performance and for the metrological monitoring of adaptation measures in drainage ditches. As part of the field work, the project area in the Ahr valley serves to investigate how water retention differs between different tree species (deciduous trees vs. coniferous trees) in terms of their respective interception and infiltration performance. Secondly, research will be carried out into how linear structures in the forest can be designed to maximise the flood protection effect. To this end, planned adaptation measures on a project area near Stolberg will be monitored using measurement technology and the effects will then be further evaluated using hydro-numerical simulation. Overall, the project aims to deepen the understanding of the role of forests in flood protection and to develop concrete measures to improve water retention.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Lothar Kirschbauer