APPLIED RIVER SCIENCES

Applied River Sciences

(formerly McBain Associates)

Formed in January 1995, Applied River Sciences is a professional consulting corporation applying fluvial geomorphic and ecological research to river preservation, management, and restoration. Our company has offices in Arcata, California and Reno, Nevada, with additional employees in Oregon and California. For over 25 years, we have provided our clients with solutions to highly complex environmental problems in aquatic ecosystems using objective and clear science, in a timely and efficient manner.

What we do

Streamflow evaluations and instream flow studies

Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses using 1- and 2-dimensional hydraulic modeling
Flow-habitat availability analyses using two-dimensional modeling
Instream flow decision tradeoff analyses
Flow scheduling recommendations
Evaluating instream flow needs for target aquatic species
Establishing formal instream flow thresholds in coordination with state water agencies
Working within multi-agency and stakeholder forums to collaboratively develop instream flow recommendations
Streamflow gaging
Water temperature monitoring, modeling, and evaluation
Streamflow gaging, measurements and records

Riparian vegetation studies and rehabilitation plans

Riparian restoration plans, strategies, and actions
Riparian inventories and rare plant surveys
Riparian regeneration analyses
Instream flow analyses to support diverse riparian vegetation
Riparian design, planning, and implementation
CRAM monitoring

Sediment evaluation, analysis and management

Performing sediment supply evaluations and sediment yield analyses, developing sediment budgets
Sediment transport monitoring and modeling
Developing sediment management plans and overseeing their implementation
Performing fluvial geomorphic assessments to characterize flow-sediment relationships
Bed mobility and scour monitoring
Sediment sampling (bedload and suspended load)
Gravel augmentation planning, design, implementation and monitoring
Coarse sediment facies mapping
Fine sediment management and monitoring

FERC relicensing support

Management and oversight of ecological components of the FERC relicensing process
Development of relicensing recommendations for improved river ecosystem management
Development of relicensing ecological documents for submission to FERC, including study plans and responding to formal comments from agencies and NGO’s
Technical analyses required to support the FERC process
Review of applicant and FERC documents
Coordination with involved state and federal agencies and other relicensing participants

Fluvial geomorphology and process restoration

Improving channel complexity
Maintaining or improving geomorphic processes
Increasing fish habitat quality and quantity
Creating off-channel habitat features
Adding large wood elements
Integrating riparian vegetation and in-channel habitat features
Restoring floodplain surfaces that meet specific physical and ecological objectives
Transporting or storing coarse and fine sediment
Reducing fine sediment impacts
Enhancing thermal refugia
Remediating fish passage barriers

Benthic macroinvertebrate assessment

Study designs that meet project objectives and are statistically rigorous.
Data collection for BMI, including drift, kick-net, and Surber sampling.
Post processing, including sorting, subsampling, and taxonomy to the genus level.
Calculating and interpreting BMI community diversity with standard diversity metrics (e.g. relative abundance, taxonomic richness, Shannon-Weiner, Hilsenhoff).
Using multivariate analysis and non-parametric statistics (e.g. principle components analysis, non-metric multidimensional scaling) to assess effects of physical conditions on BMI community structures.
Calculating food availability and constructing/applying BMI food availability to bioenergetic and individual-based fish models.
Comparing BMI community, food availability, and fish energetics in before-after-control-impact (BACI) studies. Comparisons are made at both spatial and temporal scales, including across seasons, longitudinally from points of interest (e.g. dams, diversions, restoration areas), across habitat types, and at various streamflows.