Effect of the spatial organization of land use on muddy flooding from cultivated catchments and recommendations for the adoption of control measures

Sediment‐laden runoff from arable fields has increasingly been recognized as a threat to housing, infrastructure and watercourses in Western Europe. Research suggests that land‐use change is far more important than any changes in rainfall in explaining recent increases in muddy flooding. However, the importance of changes in the organization of fields in the catchment has been overlooked. The loss of field boundaries has led to the loss of traditional sites of sediment deposition and an increase in the risk of sediment export via valley‐bottom ephemeral gullies. Successful schemes to combat muddy flooding have been pioneered in Flanders. The installation of grassed waterways in topographically controlled concentrated runoff pathways and the creation of sediment deposition structures are effective and efficient muddy flooding control measures. A supportive legislative and financial framework is also essential. The situation in Flanders is contrasted to that in the South Downs National Park, UK, where few measures to combat muddy flooding have been introduced and a supportive framework is lacking.