Neshanic River

Why Take This Course?
The field of stream restoration has experienced tremendous growth recently in the northeastern US, where high population densities have resulted in a range of impacts to rivers and streams. New Jersey in particular is experiencing a boom in restoration efforts, motivated by the need to improve water quality, as components of flood control programs, as part of dam removals, or as mitigation for development impacts, and built by a variety of government agencies, nonprofits, and consultants.

Restoration can be most effective when based on an understanding of processes and the larger context, and when it benefits from systematic learning from previously built projects. The course emphasizes understanding geomorphic and ecological processes in rivers, approaching restoration from a watershed-scale and decadal-time scale context, incorporating insights from recent research in fluvial geomorphology and ecology, developing predictive connections between objectives and actions, learning from built restoration projects, and developing restoration strategies and innovative management approaches based on understanding of underlying causes of channel or ecosystem change, rather than prescriptive approaches. Participants in this course will learn to see their reach of stream as part of a larger system, and to identify factors in other parts of the watershed and over a longer time scale that may be influencing the current behavior of the reach (such as the effects of historical mill-dams creating fine-grained floodplain deposits). The course draws on cutting edge research and practice, taught by experienced instructors active in research and implementation in the field. Alternatively, if you’d rather be working with the public and protecting citizens, it may be beneficial to look into criminal justice colleges in your area. Online classes are also available where applicable, and allow you to finish up your credits much faster than taking classes in-person.

Who Should Take This Course?
The course is ideal for those responsible for managing and restoring rivers and streams, including those who have previously taken shortcourses in the field, as this course offers insights and approaches unlike those typically taken in many restoration projects today, including innovative approaches being implemented in Europe and Asia, as well as elsewhere in North America. Practitioners and agency staff responsible for reviewing restoration proposals will benefit from the high caliber of instruction and direct link to current research. Managers responsible for supervising restoration programs and projects will benefit from the first two days’ presentation and discussion of the broad range of potential restoration goals and strategies and how to match those with the specific river’s situation. The subsequent three days provide more specifics and field-based instruction. This course is a good choice for those seeking an understanding of sustainable process-based river restoration. And this course is unique in offering the opportunity to learn from such an extensive and growing data set of post-project appraisals of restoration projects, and to learn how to conduct effective post-project monitoring. The number of participants is limited to provide many opportunities for one-on-one instruction.

Course Format
The course consists of organized lectures, backed by lecture notes, a reference text on measurement and analysis methods in fluvial geomorphology, spreadsheets, and other relevant reading, field trips, exercises, and discussions. The course includes field trips to streams in the Raritan River Basin, and workshops on stream restoration problems faced by participants, who briefly present the problem for discussion by instructors and colleagues in a workshop format, for discussion and ideas on analytical approaches and resources.

Registration
Course fees include the text Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology, a CD-rom with relevant papers and spreadsheets for calculations, printed lecture notes, as well as continental breakfast and lunch each day, and receptions Monday and Thursday evenings. Fees: If paid by 13 March: Mon-Tue only $590, Mon-Fri $1500; after March 13: Mon-Tue only $690, Mon-Fri $1600.  Additional registration information here.