Basics

River Engineering is a branch of civil engineering dealing with the design and construction of various structures to improve and/or restore rivers for both human and environmental needs.

With utilization of modern day, state of the art technologies in data collection and modeling, river engineering can improve navigation, reduce dredging, and enhance or create new habitat. River engineering involves the management of sediment and the control of erosion. Sedimentation is one of mankind's largest natural problems. Sediment can choke rivers, clog water intakes for municipal water supply, halt or hinder the transportation of commodities via navigation, and destroy backwaters and wetlands. Erosion can endanger private property and infrastructure, cause major river cutoffs, and increase sedimentation.

What are River Training Structures?

River training structures are manmade structures designed and constructed in a river reach to modify the hydraulic flow and sediment response of a river. Some examples of manmade river training structures are dikes, chevrons, bendway weirs, and bank revetments.