The unregulated Santa Maria River in west-central Arizona.

Riparian ecologists at the Fort Collins Science Center study interactions among flow, channel change, and vegetation along rivers across the western United States and worldwide. Our work focuses on issues relevant to the management of water and public lands, including dam operation, climate change, invasive species, and ecological restoration. Investigations take place on a range of scales. For...

This research examines how water flows affect populations, communities, ecosystems, and hydroscapes. Studies elucidate the interactions among hydrologic, geomorphologic, biogeochemical, biological, and anthropogenic processes. Scientists identify and quantify the spatial and temporal attributes of water flow for ecological needs. Flow alternations by humans are a primary contributor to the...