Gianluca Blois, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Idaho’s Boise campus, works at the Center for Ecohydraulics Research (CER) with students to study how water moves through streams and rivers. Their research focuses on how stationary objects, like plants, affect water flow and the movement of sediments. This study used a specialized laboratory flume—a controlled stream environment—to measure water speed and pressure in aquatic systems. While scientists have long studied how landscape features like riverbanks and terrain influence water movement, the role of vegetation in the exchange of water between the surface and subsurface remains largely unknown. Many of Idaho’s rivers have been altered by human activity, and restoring native plants in and around waterways is a key part of improving these ecosystems. However, we still don’t fully understand how aquatic plants impact water flow, nutrient mixing, and surface and groundwater exchange. This research will help fill that gap, providing valuable knowledge to improve river restoration projects and their long-term success.
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