Stroud Water Research Center

09/04/2026

What do streamside forests, kestrels, and clean water have in common? 🌳💧🦉

More than you might think.

Stroud Water Research Center and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association are bringing together stream restoration and wildlife conservation on Pennsylvania farms. As streamside forests help protect clean water and provide habitat, kestrels and barn owls can provide natural pest control — including hunting the voles that can damage newly planted trees.

The partnership has already helped 275 American kestrels fledge from nest boxes over the past two years.

See how protecting streams can benefit an entire ecosystem: stroudcenter.org/news/connecting-the-kittatinny-to-the-chesapeake-update

📸 American kestrel nestlings after receiving their color bands. Photo: Brandon Brogle

09/03/2026

Wendell Berry spent a lifetime reminding us that caring for the earth begins with caring for particular places — the land beneath our feet, the water that runs through it, and the communities that depend on both.

His writing gave language to something that has long guided our work: Healthy streams cannot be separated from healthy land, and neither can be separated from the choices people make about how to live on and care for them.

We’re grateful for a voice that asked generations of us to pay attention, to belong to a place, and to take responsibility for its care.

Wendell Berry, 1934–2026.

09/02/2026

Building stronger connections for healthier watersheds. 🌿💧

Yesterday, Stroud Water Research Center welcomed colleagues from Brandywine Conservancy, coordinated by Rob Daniels, for a chance to get to know one another better — and to get out from behind our desks.

Our teams spent time learning about each organization’s work and expertise, followed by a tour of Stroud Center’s campus and grounds. From our buildings to the streams and forests that make the campus a living laboratory, the visit gave us plenty to talk about — and plenty of opportunities to learn from one another.

We’re grateful to our Brandywine Conservancy colleagues for spending the day with us. Strong relationships among organizations working for healthy lands and waters help all of us do our work better.

Thanks for visiting!

09/02/2026

What happens when a river runs free again?

On September 16, join us at Kennett Library for a free movie night exploring the largest river restoration project in U.S. history: the removal of four dams on the Klamath River.

Through a series of short films, learn about the Indigenous tribes who helped lead the decades-long effort to restore the river — including the work of Amy Bowers Cordalis, general counsel for the Yurok Tribe and the 2026 recipient of the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence.

📅 September 16
🕕 Doors open at 6 p.m.
📍 Kennett Library
🎟️ Free, thanks to Meridian Bank. Please RSVP.

Learn more and save your seat: stroudcenter.org/event/letting-the-klamath-run-free

08/30/2026

What happens when a river runs free again?

On September 16, join us at Kennett Library for a free movie night exploring the largest river restoration project in U.S. history: the removal of four dams on the Klamath River.

Through a series of short films, learn about the Indigenous tribes who helped lead the decades-long effort to restore the river — including the work of Amy Bowers Cordalis, general counsel for the Yurok Tribe and the 2026 recipient of the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence.

📅 September 16
🕕 Doors open at 6 p.m.
📍 Kennett Library
🎟️ Free, thanks to Meridian Bank. Please RSVP.

Learn more and save your seat: stroudcenter.org/event/letting-the-klamath-run-free

Join us for a screening of short films highlighting the historic removal of four Klamath River dams and the Indigenous tribes who helped lead the effort.

08/27/2026

💧 What’s in your water? Sediment.

Sediment is a natural part of streams. Moving water carries everything from tiny particles of silt and sand to gravel and stones, continually reshaping stream channels.

But too much fine sediment can become a water quality problem — clouding the water, burying habitat, and carrying nutrients and other pollutants downstream.

For , we’re looking at some of the clues scientists use to understand freshwater health. With sediment, measuring how much is in the water is only part of the story. Scientists also want to know where it came from — and where it goes.

Stroud Water Research Center scientists recently used an unexpected tool to answer that question in two Chesapeake Bay estuaries: DNA.

By analyzing the DNA of microbes clinging to suspended sediment particles, researchers could distinguish sediment carried in by rivers from sediment already in the estuary and track how far river sediment traveled after floods.

Their findings revealed a more complicated story than simply “mud flows downstream.” Tidal wetlands intercepted much of the river sediment before it could reach sensitive seagrass habitat farther into the estuary.

Learn how scientists used DNA to answer the question: stroudcenter.org/news/dna-tracks-sediment-pollution-chesapeake-bay

08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day! 🐾

Around here, a love of fresh water extends to the four-legged members of the Stroud Water Research Center family. From creek swims to paddling adventures, these dogs know there’s nothing better than playing in the water.

Meet a few of our pups: Teddy, Hannah, Phebe, Bear, Ginger, Juniata, Sophie, Scotty, and Emma!

Here’s to clean, healthy fresh water for all creatures — including the ones who insist on shaking it all over us. 🐶💧

08/26/2026

💧 What’s in your water? Salt.

Fresh water naturally contains some salt. But when concentrations rise, freshwater ecosystems can become too salty for the organisms adapted to live there.

One of the biggest sources in our region? Winter road salt.

Salt spread on roads, sidewalks, and driveways doesn’t simply disappear when the snow melts. Salt can wash into streams and infiltrate groundwater — and Stroud Water Research Center and community scientists have found elevated salt concentrations in streams year-round, even in summer.

That matters for aquatic life. Rising salt levels can cause sensitive organisms like mayflies and amphibians to disappear, and Stroud Center research has found that salt becomes more toxic to aquatic life as temperatures rise.

The good news? Using less salt doesn’t have to mean less safety. Better winter-maintenance practices and technologies can reduce salt use by 30–50%.

💧 Water quality is more than clear water.

Learn about the science of freshwater salinization, explore salt levels in your local streams on our salt map, and find ways to Cut the Salt:�

stroudcenter.org/salt