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Our Focus is Fresh Water

Since 1967, Stroud Water Research Center has focused on one thing — fresh water.
We advance knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and watershed restoration.

What We Do

Freshwater Research

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Environmental Education

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Watershed Restoration

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Latest News

A stream riffle in the Schuylkill Highlands with mature forest on both banks.

How Streamside Forests Make Us and Our Water More Climate Resilient

Whether it’s too much, too little, or too dirty, the primary way humans experience climate change is through water. Streamside forests can help.
A three-year-old forested buffer showing strong tree growth.

Using Herbicide: An Important Tool in Establishing Streamside Forests

To ensure our buffers are set up for success, we strategically use herbicides to control invasive plants for the first three years.
A woman and a man plant a tree in a new riparian buffer.

How Many Trees Does It Take to Protect a Stream?

Here's a hint: wider buffers are better. Narrower buffers help but don't function as well as pollutant barriers and enhancers of in-stream function.
David Arscott and Paul Greenberg hold the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence.

Stroud Center Honors Bestselling Author of Four Fish, Paul Greenberg

The award-winning food and environmental writer calls for sustainable fishing at the award ceremony for his impact on aquatic ecosystems.
Kathryn Metzker stands with two National Park Service rangers at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Stroud Center Advises National Park Service on Education Programming

Visits to the parks yielded interesting insights, from new resources to curriculum updates that park rangers discussed during interviews.
A small brook trout swims in a shallow stream.

Too Hot to Handle: How Rising Temperature Impacts Streams

Human activities are increasing stream temperatures and harming habitat quality for freshwater fish and species like mayflies.

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Featured Initiatives and Partnerships

WikiWatershed® web tools offer watershed data visualization, geospatial analysis capabilities, and science-based predictions of human impacts on stormwater runoff and water quality.

The Water Quality mobile app is a water-monitoring data-collection and learning tool designed for use by educators and their students, citizen scientists, and researchers.

EnviroDIY™ is a community where members ask and answer questions and network within interest groups to develop do-it-yourself environmental science and monitoring devices.

The Society for Freshwater Science Taxonomic Certification Program ensures skilled persons are providing aquatic invertebrate identifications in North America.

The Leaf Pack Network® is an international network of teachers, students, and citizen monitors using a simple experiment to determine the health of their local streams.

The Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds provides free technical assistance to Pennsylvania-based watershed and conservation organizations.

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