Stroud Water Research Center

"The Stroud Centers staff is internationally acclaimed for its pioneering research on streams and rivers. The scientists work in interdisciplinary research teams, blending their individual talents in chemistry, microbial ecology, invertebrate biology, watershed ecology, and ecosystem modeling to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of streams and rivers, the life histories of individual organisms, and the ecology of watersheds.

"While much of the research is done in streams, rivers and watersheds throughout the world, visitors are amazed to find part of White Clay Creek flowing through the Stroud Center laboratories. Some of its water has been diverted into an experimental channel that reproduces the natural world so well that algae, insects and fish mature in the lab at the same rate they do outside. This enables the researchers to carry out ecosystem simulation experiments and thereby bridge the gap between laboratory and field studies. They then test and refine the hypotheses and methods they have developed in the laboratory on streams and rivers all around the globe.

"The Center’s educational programs seek to disseminate the findings of the research projects, serve as a resource for science teachers, and enhance the stewardship of watersheds. Designed for students and lay people of all ages and levels of scientific learning, the programs include hands-on elementary school science projects, staff-taught courses at local universities, public workshops, lectures and forums, and a summer institute for middle-school teachers funded by the National Science Foundation." [from website}

National Science Foundation support for riparian forest research at the Stroud Water Research Center: Research Uncovers Added Value of Streamside Forests.

Stroud Water Research Center