Researchers at the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics (NCED) at the University of Minnesota have developed a virtual stream computer model called Virtual StreamLab to help restore streams to a healthier and more natural state. Virtual StreamLab demonstrates the physics of natural water flows at an unprecedented level of detail and realism.
The researchers believe that the ability to simulate water flow over topography with this degree of realism will provide the insights necessary to improve sustainable stream restoration strategies, help in optimizing techniques to fight erosion, help prevent flooding and restore aquatic habitats in degraded waterways. According to the national data available to the researchers, 44 percent of the nation’s 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams have become degraded due to sedimentation and excess nutrients. This decline has led to impaired water quality over entire watersheds, rendering many streams unhealthy for recreation and public contact. These effects also have serious consequences for the health of aquatic life. Efforts to restore these bodies of water have resulted in an annual cost of more than $1 billion in the United States alone.
NCED is a NSF Science and Technology Center where scientists from previously disparate fields such as geomorphology, engineering, and ecology are working together to understand how biota and ecosystems are linked to landscapes and hydrology, providing predictive insights into how important ecosystem services such as salmon spawning and water quality are linked to each other and to the landscape.
