Special Session 1: Turbulence in open channels

Organizer: Prof. Michio Sanjou, University of Kyoto, Japan

Special Session 2: Use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in field observation campaigns for environmental hydraulics

Organizer: Prof. Scott Socolofsky, Texas A&M University, USA

Increasingly, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are being used to conduct or supplement field campaigns in environmental hydraulics.  Observations include still image and video capture using on-board color, infrared, and multi-spectral cameras and observations from various payloads carried by the UAS, including in situ water sampling and LiDAR, among others.  Many important quantitative measures of natural fluid systems can be derived from these observations, notably including topography using structure-from-motion and surface velocity fields, using Doppler analysis of video-captured waves.  This session will host a wide array of hydraulic studies and method development featuring UAS as an observational platform. 

Special Session 3: Sediment transport in vegetated waterways

Organizer: Prof. Priscilla Williamns, The University of Iowa, USA

Special Session 4: River confluences: theoretical approaches, field investigations, physical and numerical modelling

Organizer: Prof. Carlo Gualtieri, University of Napoli, Federico II, Italy

Special Session 5: Restoring river connectivity: forecasting tools and monitoring strategies

Organizers: Prof. Rui ML Ferreira; Dr. Isabel Boavida; Dr. Ana Quaresma; Dr. Teresa Alvarez CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Restoring river connectivity is a global priority. All three spatial dimensions of river connectivity and sustainability (the time dimension) are now being addressed in a systematic way, with normative and planning initiatives substituting the ad-hoc opportunistic framework of the past. The EU's Nature Restoration Law - which targets 25000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030 - illustrates this paradigm shift.

To be effective, connectivity restoration efforts, particularly those focused on longitudinal connectivity, must be based on a thorough characterization of the pre-intervention system. This includes the characterization of the barriers, a clear definition of the objectives, applying tools to predict post-intervention morphological, hydraulic, bio-chemical, ecological and societal responses, and implementing monitoring strategies to ensure that the river is converging to the envisaged objectives.

This session addresses challenges in a) developing and applying the tools to model the baseline situation and to forecast the morphological, hydraulic, bio-chemical, ecological dynamics of the river post-intervention and b) designing monitoring strategies and developing methods and instruments to measure and track the post-intervention river system, including its hydro-morphological, bio-chemical and ecological strata.

We welcome field, experimental and numerical approaches that may contribute to better characterizing river systems and strengthen our ability to forecast their evolution.