This course examines urban stream restoration using a broad view that spans historical, eco-engineering and cultural. Some technical aspects will be briefly covered, but the focus will be on bringing diverse life back, as well as the nature-based benefits to people. We’ll talk about the state of the engineering-based watershed & stream restoration and more socio-ecologically based methods and goals. We will see that the implications of such a transformation are potentially great. It is plausible that urban streams can achieve a more natural state, with a family of novel but functioning, valued ecosystems.
We’ll spend significant time on the needs and roles of organisms and their communities (microbes, insects, fish, plants/algae, etc.) in establishing biodiverse and functional ecosystems. We’ll see that biota need cleaner, less flashy streams and that they also contribute to cleaner, more functional streams.
Instructor: Kenneth Belt, Engr ’91 (MEE), Engr ’94 (PhD)
October 22, 2025 – November 26, 2025 (6 Sessions)
Wednesday, 6:00PM ET – 7:30PM ET via Zoom