Design criteria for river meanders and their restoration

Advisor: Dr. Sean J. Bennett (Department of Geography)
Other Mentors: Dr. Joseph F. Atkinson (Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering), Sarah Whiteway (Ph.D. Student)
Primary Activities: Fieldwork, physical modeling, numerical modeling

Project Summary: The reestablishment of a meandering planform in streams that were historically straightened or degraded is a complex and rarely-studied technique in river restoration.  Some design guidelines do exist for the engineering this process, but much information remains undocumented and untested.  This project will analyze the foundations of various design criteria for creating stable meandering stream systems through a combination of fieldwork, physical modeling, and analytic solutions.  The REU student will (1) complete fieldwork on restored meandering streams using rapid assessment protocols to determine their geomorphic and hydraulic stability as well as overall stream health, (2) facilitate in the construction and execution of a physical model of a meandering stream, and the documentation of its geomorphic and hydraulic stability as compared to field prototypes, and (3) employ a wide range of analytic and numerical tools and technologies to assess the stability and ecological integrity of meandering stream channels specifically to recommend design criteria for use in river restoration. 

Skills/Courses Recommended:Basic knowledge of hydrology and river geomorphology
Anticipated Conference Presentation(s):American Geophysical Union or Great Lake Research Consortium