History
River research and restoration in the Upper Midwest is an area of intense activity involving federal and local agencies, watershed managers, consultants, researchers, and educators. There is a clear demand for discussion, knowledge exchange, and collaboration between these entities, including two-way exchanges between research and practice as well as interagency communication. To address this need, the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) and the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) at the University of Minnesota have organized the Partnership for River Restoration and Science in the Upper Midwest (PRRSUM, pronounced “prism”).
Started in 2009, PRRSUM began as a series of recorded webinars, but has since evolved to an annual conference that brings together applied practitioners from all over the region and national to exchange ideas and network. Our geographic coverage is centralized to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, but the reach of similar stream restoration issues and topics also attracts practitioners from Ohio, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and beyond.
Goals for the Partnership
PRRSUM will provide a regular, open forum for knowledge exchange within the stream and river restoration community. This partnership will work towards the following goals:
- Exchange knowledge and lessons learned about important local and regional topics in river and stream restoration.
- Create networking and collaboration opportunities that will lead to further targeted research and group funding.
- Provide resources and content that will help move stream restoration practice forward throughout the Midwest.
