River dynamics are often studied indoors, using flumes or stream tables to mimic how their flows alter river morphology. While helpful, these indoor methods have their limitations. To push river science further, in 2019, the GREAUS ambitiously embarked on a multiyear project to build and operate the Outdoor Experimental River Facility (OERF) on the Université de Sherbrooke’s main campus. As one of the most advanced river laboratories in the world, the OERF enables researchers to undertake controlled river dynamic experiments closer to natural scale. After facing initial delays due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we began our first experiments in late 2021.
The scale of the OERF permits research that few other facilities can match: an adjustable channel width up to 10 meters, a length of 50 meters, a maximum slope of 3% and a range of flows from 100 to 800 liters per second (enough flow to fill a typical backyard swimming pool a minute). The river’s morphological (shape) changes are measured using drone imagery techniques and a plethora of instruments are available to quantify interesting fluvial phenomena from turbulence to bedload transport rates.
The successful installation of a sediment recirculating eductor (pump) in early 2024 marked a major milestone in the facility’s timeline. The eductor siphons sediments that cross the downstream boundary back upstream, establishing an infinite sediment loop true to river sediment processes.
Looking to the future, we would like to extend the discharge capacity with an additional pump and install a sediment supply monitoring system to precisely account for sediment loads. We also envision winterizing the OERF to enable year-round operations to provide insights on river ice processes, including frazil production, ice cover growth and ice jams physics.
The facility improves with each experiment as new technologies, instrumentation and lessons learnt are integrated into our experimental methods. The facility is in constant evolution as we discover new ways for it to advance foundational knowledge of fluvial processes and inspire future research to better manage our planet’s waterways.
If you have a research idea, reach out to Professor Jay.Lacey@usherbrooke.ca! We’d be pleased to have you collaborate with us on our journey to explore the fascinating world of river dynamics, one experiment at a time.
Written by Basem Mohamed Mostafa Mahmoud, doctoral candidate*
Edited by:
- Jason Duguay, PhD., Research Professional*
- Marie-Amélie Boucher, Professor*
- Jay Lacey, Professor*
*Departement de genie civil et du bâtiment, Faculté de génie, Université de Sherbrooke.