Science
"a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena" ~ Merriam-Webster
Through both experimental and applied research, Sustainable Streams designs and conducts investigations to explain the events of nature in a predictable way.
Featured Article
Addressing the Urban Stream Disturbance Regime
Robert Hawley and Geoff Vietz
Featured Project
Reducing Flood Risks via Floodplain Restoration
Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
Contact
Brian Storz, Ph.D. | brian.storz@ky.gov | 502.782.2141
Description
In collaboration with the Kentucky Division of Water and numerous other local, state, and federal partners, Sustainable Streams has been working with Kentucky communities to restore floodplains to help reduce flood risks. The floodplain renovations can range from recreational fields and nature trails to restored wetlands, green sinks, or high-flow channels. The nature-based approach to flood risk reduction builds off the insights from eight constructed projects across the region. The research has illuminated the value that floodplain restoration offers in contributing to flood risk reduction as well as the benefits of tailoring designs to maximize an array of community goals.
Example of a constructed floodplain restoration project that combined stream and wetland re-establishment at the East Fork Riparian Reserve in Clinton and Clermont Counties (OH). The valley-wide restoration project resulted in a modeled decrease in the 100-year water surface elevation that averaged ca. 20 inches along the ~1,100-ft project reach, with a maximum drop of almost 40 inches near the upstream end of the project (described in greater detail in this paper).