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

What We Do

Freshwater
Research

Environmental
Education

Watershed
Restoration

Future of Fresh Water Initiative

Goal: $20 Million

Nowhere else in the world is there an organization like Stroud Water Research Center, which has spent 51 years focused on understanding, preserving, and protecting fresh water. To strengthen ongoing research and to expand community empowerment programs to protect clean fresh water regionally and around the world, the Stroud Center has announced its Future of Fresh Water Initiative.

Progress

Help us reach our goal. Give to the Future of Fresh Water Initiative. Gifts to the Executive Director’s Fund and the Environmental Education Fund will be DOUBLED thanks to generous challenge grants!

Latest News

The health and safety of our staff and community are of utmost concern and we are closely monitoring the coronavirus situation. See updates.

Employment Opportunity: Postdoctoral Associate in Microbial Ecology

Stroud Water Research Center is searching for a postdoctoral associate to study molecular microbial ecology in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

A Message From the Executive Director Regarding the Importance of Racial Equity and Justice

We need to embrace this moment of massive awareness as our window of opportunity to take genuine action and to work harder to advance human rights and equality for all.

Four scientists collect simulated rainfall from soil in a cornfield in White Clay Creek watershed.

Saving Streams With Good Science

Building trust in the scientific process starts with communicating our research to non-scientists. To that end, our scientists share snapshots of three long-term experiments.

2021 entomology summer intern group photo.

Meet Our 2021 Summer Interns

Our summer internship program, now in its 49th year, has ushered through hundreds of interns seeking meaningful learning experiences.

Logical Living Donates in Support of Freshwater Stewardship

Husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Tobi Quinlan say their donation will directly support the Stroud Center's watershed restoration efforts in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay watersheds.

The Watershed Education Mobile Lab is coming in fall 2021.

Coming to Your Site Soon: The Watershed Education Mobile Lab!

As a new initiative to increase accessibility, our educators will soon be able to travel to your school, community, or group location to deliver meaningful watershed education programming.

Meet “Waterfallologist” Kristen McCarthy

McCarthy's friends started calling her a “waterfallologist” during her undergrad years. A continuing focus on water quality and resources led her to the Stroud Center.

Brian and Lynette Saunder at the fence that keeps their cattle away from the newly planted buffer.

Lancaster Farm Buffers Its Effect on Chesapeake Bay

“God blessed us with this land, and we want to do our little part in conserving it and just making it a better place for everyone,” Lynette Sauder said.

The Food, Farming, and Water Connection

Find out how you can make choices that support local organic and regenerative farmers who are dedicated to healthy food, healthy land, and clean water.

View all news »

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.

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 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 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.

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

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