Our next webinar:
“From Dry to Flowing: Key drivers and patterns behind intermittent/non-perennial streams"
with:
Dr. Piata Marques, Researcher University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada (presently); Assistant Professor, State University of New York, USA (2022-23)
"Exploring adaptive responses of stream biota to urbanization" |
Dr. Nelson Odume, Professor and Director of the Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South Africa
"Urban River Streams - Microplastics conduits, sinks, and the vector effect" |
4 December 2025
4:30-6:00 pm (16:30-18:00) US EST (UTC -5)
Register for the webinar here!
Freshwater ecosystems are the most vulnerable due to anthropogenic activities. Because of this, it is important to understand the environmental patterns of these systems to protect biodiversity loss and maintain ecosystem services. Intermittent or non-perennial streams—those that periodically dry and re-initiate flow—are highly dynamic ecosystems driven by complex interactions among climatic, hydrological, geological, and biological factors. Variations in precipitation, groundwater input, wastewater treatment plant schedules, catchment topography, and evapotranspiration impact their alternating wet and dry phases, shaping distinct ecological structure and functions that affect the ecosystem services. During dry periods, organic matter and nutrients accumulate and biological organisms get restricted to water pockets, while flow resumption triggers pulses of connectivity, nutrient export, and biological reactivation. These flow transitions create strong spatial and temporal gradients that influence community composition, habitat structure, and ecosystem functioning. As such, intermittent streams serve as critical sentinels of environmental change, reflecting both the resilience and vulnerability of freshwater systems in response to climatic variability and land-use pressures. In this webinar, we aim to highlight newly identified patterns and drivers shaping non-perennial freshwater ecosystems, offering valuable insights to inform effective conservation and management strategies.
Save the dates for our upcoming webinars:
- Thursday, 5 February
- Thursday, 2 April
Past webinars:
“Focus on intermittent/nonperennial streams"
with:
Raphael Mazor, Principal Scientist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
Antoni Munné, Director of the the Environmental Management Area for the Catalan Water Agency (Catalan Government)
9 October 2025
Watch the recording on YouTube
This webinar explores the different ways entities are approaching the assessment and management of intermittent/nonperennial streams in urbanized Mediterranean climates. The first presentation focuses on developing a toolkit for the assessment of nonperennial systems in California, a state with concomitant high levels of urbanization in a Mediterranean type climate. The second talk brings us to actual Mediterranean systems and will discuss how the Catalan Water Agency is approaching the problem of ecological assessments in nonperennial streams in Catalan to improve water management there. A panel discussion with time for audience questions follows these presentations. Please enjoy the recording of this exciting webinar for a focus on the kinds of streams that are often overlooked but are vital river network components.
“Freshwater Conservation and Management in the Santa Ana River Watershed"
with:
Kai Palenscar, San Bernadino Valley Municipal Water District
Ria Ghosh, UC Riverside
Brock Huntsman, California Water Science Center, US Geological Survey
5 February 2025
Watch the recording on YouTube
This webinar explored innovative approaches to studying and enhancing aquatic ecosystems in urban settings, focusing on the Santa Ana River in California. The first presentation (Kai Palenscar) examined in-stream habitat enhancement efforts within the Santa Ana River, highlighting strategies to support ecological health within a dense urban area. The second talk (Ria Ghosh) delved into research on spatial and temporal variations in the size spectra of benthic macroinvertebrates, shedding light on how these organisms respond to urban influences. The third presentation (Brock Huntsman) evaluated the effectiveness of alternative fish sampling methods in describing community dynamics, offering insights into their value for understanding fish populations in urban rivers.
“New visions for urban stream management:
Reorienting urban stream management to focus on equitable delivery of benefits
&
An approach to urban waterway assessment using holistic values and reciprocity"
with:
Mateo Scoggins, Stream Ecology (consultant). Bellingham, WA, USA
Seth Wenger, Director of Science, River Basin Center; Associate Professor, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia. Athens, GA, USA
5 December 2024
Watch the recording on YouTube
This webinar presented approaches to urban stream management and assessment that center equity and holistic values. Urban streams are often managed in ways that contribute to societal inequities. The first talk discussed the need to reorient municipal stream management programs towards the mission of equitable delivery of benefits, which can take many forms, and to de-emphasize the goal of restoring streams to the pre-development ecological condition. The second presentation discussed the convergence of a group of waterway scientists and managers at the SUSE6 meeting to develop a novel approach to assessment that better integrates diverse values and the First Nations concept of reciprocity (recognizing social and environmental relationships).
“The Urban Waters Federal Partnership - Partnerships for Watershed Management and Equity”
with:
Jeanine Finley, Team Lead, Urban Waters Federal Partnership, US EPA
Ingrid Vila, Urban Waters Ambassador for the Caño Martín Peña Channel in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Richard Roark, Chief Purpose Officer, The Olin Group
Samuel Wallace, Urban Waters Ambassador for the South Platte River Watershed in Denver, Colorado
3 October 2024
Watch the recording on YouTube
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership reconnects urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies. The Partnership also collaborates with community-led revitalization efforts to improve our Nation's water systems and promote their economic, environmental and social benefits. This webinar will provide an overview of the program, highlight work happening at various Urban Waters Partnerships and the Urban Waters partnership approach to enhancing coordination and collaboration between organizations.
“Integrating nature-based solutions for urban water quality benefits in the developing world”
with:
Liya Abera & Kyle McKay
Environmental Laboratory, US Army Corps of Engineers
1 February 2024
Watch the recording on YouTube
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are well-recognized as a potential mechanism to accelerate sustainability and deliver multiple co-benefits from water infrastructure. However, peer-reviewed studies and implementation guidance have been biased toward applications in developed regions, and transfer of NBS to the context of developing countries may require adaptation or modification of recommended approaches. Based on literature review, an in-person workshop at SUSE6, and a series of virtual workshops with global collaborators, this study examines the unique challenges and mechanisms of integrating NbS with urban water infrastructure to address water quality issues in developing regions. Ultimately, this paper seeks to create more efficient pathways for adoption and use of NBS globally.
“Longitudinal Stream Synoptic Monitoring: From Ideas to Applications”
with:
Sujay Kaushal (University of Maryland)
Eugènia Martí (Centre D'estudis Avançats De Blanes (CEAB-CSIC))
Sydney Shelton (University of Maryland)
7 December 2023
Watch the recording on YouTube
Space: the final frontier. These are longitudinal voyages and studies along the urban watershed continuum. Our mission is to track the fate of nonpoint and point sources of pollution and seek novel chemical cocktails. To boldly go beyond routine monitoring to investigate a typology of longitudinal trends and transitions for comparing water quality across different watersheds and regions.
“SUSE6: Urban Stream Restoration Down Under & Reflections on the Field of Urban Stream Ecology”
with:
Kathryn Russell (University of Melbourne)
Moss Imberger (University of Melbourne)
Alan Hoban (Bligh Tanner)
Shuo Chen (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center & University of Georgia)
Eugènia Martí (Centre D'estudis Avançats De Blanes (CEAB-CSIC))
Mateo Scoggins (City of Austin)
5 October 2023
Watch the recording on YouTube
Participants in the 6th Symposium on Stream Ecology (SUSE6) held in Brisbane, Australia in May 2023 will share experiences and reflections on the meeting. The SUSE6 organizers will provide a brief summary of the meeting, and a panel of SUSE6 participants will share their reflections on the major emerging themes from the meeting and where they see the field of urban stream ecology going. There will also be a presentation on example urban stream restoration projects in Brisbane that were part of the field trips, a meeting highlight. This is a great opportunity for people who were not able to attend SUSE6 to hear a little bit about the symposium, and for SUSE6 participants to reflect on how the symposium has affected their ongoing work.
“Anthropogenic litter and microplastics in urban freshwaters:
Advancements in research and policy”
with:
Dr. Timothy Hoellein (Loyola University Chicago)
Dr. Rae McNeish (California State University Bakersfield)
Chelsey Grassfield (Friends of the Chicago River)
Maggie Jones (Friends of the Chicago River)
2 March 2023
Watch the recording on YouTube
The sixth SUSE webinar featured insights into the sources, fates, and biological interactions of anthropogenic litter in freshwater ecosystems. We also learned about policy at multiple levels and community involvement around plastic waste in aquatic systems.
“Anthropogenic Subsidies in Rivers of the Anthropocene:
Re-thinking wastewater-related socioecological issues in urban watershed ecology and restoration”
Presented by:
Dr. Krista Capps (University of Georgia)
Dr. Piatã Marques (University of Buffalo)
Dr. Jacqueline Echols (South River Watershed Alliance)
5 January 2023
Watch the recording on YouTube
The fifth webinar presented by the Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology (SUSE) featured new perspectives, poop, and environmental justice.
“Beyond Ecotox: Advancing ecosystem-scale contaminants research”
Lead organizer: Dr. Emma Rosi (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)
Host: Dr. Mike Paul (TetraTech)
Presented by:
Dr. Jess Brandt (University of Connecticut)
Dr. Austin Gray (Virginia Tech)
Dr. Arial Shogren (University of Alabama)
3 November 2022
Watch the recording on YouTube
Contaminants are agents of global change that operate at ecosystem scales and are a tell-tale signature of modern anthropogenic impact. While eco- and environmental toxicologists have studied the adverse health effects of environmental contaminant exposure for decades, there is an emerging emphasis on investigating contaminants as mediators of environmental change and as mechanisms for elucidating ecological pathways and processes. This webinar will provide an overview of an ongoing effort to organize researchers studying contaminants using an ecosystems approach, highlighting examples from Drs. Brandt, Gray, and Shogren’s research programs.
“Urban stream geomorphology – science and management insights from Australia, Canada, and the United States”
Presented by:
Dr. Geoff Vietz (Streamology Pty Ltd, Senior Research Fellow University of Melbourne)
Dr. Christine Lauchlan Arrowsmith (Streamology Pty Ltd)
Dr. Elli Papangelakis (McMaster University)
Dr. Bob Hawley (Sustainable Streams, LLC)
8 September 2022
Watch the recording on YouTube
The Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology (SUSE) presents its third webinar that will include four stream geomorphologists from around the world sharing recent advances in urban stream geomorphology and management.
“Biological Potential of Urban Streams: Development and Application”
Presented by:
Dr. Michael Paul
Tetra Tech, Inc.
7 April 2022
Watch the recording on YouTube
Stream restoration requires intent. Intent to restore from some current condition to some other condition. Traditional biological goals focus on minimally disturbed reference conditions. But is that appropriate for urban streams? If not, what is an appropriate biological condition target and how do we define it? And how would different goals affect decision-making? This talk focuses on the theory and application behind the concept of biological potential to define interim targets for the adaptive management of urban stream protection and recovery using existing biological assessment tools. It will also discuss how these concepts can be integrated into improving policy.
“After SUSE5: An Update on Four Case Studies and How a City Works”
Presented by:
Mateo Scoggins, Lindsay Olinde, Sofia Reyes, Kelley Rich, Janna Renfro, and Ana Gonzales
City of Austin
3 February 2022
Watch the recording on YouTube
Presenters from the City of Austin will shared outcomes from the four “wicked” urban stream problems that served as case studies for participants of the 5th Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology (SUSE5) in February 2020 in Austin, Texas. The talk included background about the case studies and SUSE5 meeting, restoration decisions and outcomes of case studies, and a discussion of how input during SUSE5 influenced outcomes.