Save the Sound

Stream Science Sunday: What on earth is fluvial geomorphology?

Let’s break it down at its roots. "Fluvial” comes from the Latin fluvius, meaning river. “Geomorphology” is a combination of 3 Greek roots:

Geo= Earth

Morpho= Form or shape

-Ology= The study of

Put it all together and fluvial geomorphology means the study of how river channels form in the earth’s landscapes, or as our in-house fluvial geomorphologist, Paul Woodworth, puts it: “how streams and rivers shape the surface of the earth.” This field of science considers how a river’s natural processes occur at different scales of time and space.

These processes can include the flow regime (or how its flow and flood frequency varies seasonally), how a river bends (or meanders) and moves, how sediment erodes and deposits, and much more.

Understanding these natural processes helps us coexist with rivers better than we have in the past. Fluvial geomorphology guides us in how to accommodate these natural forces while still living beside them—informing how we design bridges and culverts now and how we remove dams and restore rivers.

Images by Stephen Borghardt

Stream Science Sunday: Stream Restoration Series & the Watershed Connection

When people think of stream restoration, they often picture repairing eroded streambanks or reshaping channels. While this work is vital, restoring a stream's overall health (water quality, ecosystem function, habitat connectivity, and resilience) means looking beyond the channel to the broader watershed.

Every stream and river is part of a watershed—the area where rainfall drains to the same stream, river, lake, or estuary. Because water flows across the landscape, everything that happens within a watershed can influence the health of that waterway. Watersheds also come in many different sizes, from small areas draining to a single stream to vast regions containing many connected watersheds.

Landscape ecologists often view watersheds as connected systems made up of a matrix (dominant land cover like forests or developed areas), patches (wetlands, ponds, meadows, and forests), corridors (streams and rivers that connect habitats), and mosaics of these habitat types working together across the landscape.

Healthy watersheds filter pollutants, reduce flooding, keep streams cool, and support fish and wildlife. In contrast, excessive pavement, development, and other land disturbances can increase polluted runoff, erode streambanks, and degrade habitat.

Stream restoration can include planting riparian buffers, reforesting watersheds, restoring wetlands, reconnecting floodplains, removing dams, improving wastewater management, and enhancing habitat for fish and wildlife.

Stay tuned as we continue exploring the science behind healthier rivers and streams across the Long Island Sound region and beyond!