Welcome to ISRS 2025:
One Earth, Many Rivers
The 7th International Symposium on River Science will be held from 6-9 October 2025, hosted by the Center for Watershed Sciences, at the University of California, Davis.
This is the first opportunity for the global ISRS community to meet since 2019, and for river scientists and practitioners to reconnect and share ideas and experiences. The symposium provides a unique platform for bringing together researchers and practitioners from across the world, and to foster collaboration, sharing ideas, and experiences that can advance the field of river science and management.
The Symposium will focus will on themes that incorporate research from across ecology, geomorphology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, social sciences, first nations science, environmental engineering, river management and policy.
Symposium Themes
This year's symposium encompasses three main themes:
Rivers are complex biophysical systems, set within a broader landscape context. The connections within rivers, and those between rivers and their broader landscape play an integral role in the character and functioning of river systems. Recognising rivers as networks that are connected longitudinally, laterally, vertically and temporally, this theme will explore the broad range of interactions and connections that occur within river systems.
Significant investment is undertaken worldwide to rehabilitate and restore river ecosystems to support and enhance biodiversity. Focus is on reinstating natural processes, habitats and species interactions to reverse environmental degradation and foster resilient ecosystems. This theme will explore advances in restoration science from a broad range of social and biophysical research disciplines as well as practitioners, managers and policy makers.
There is an important and complex relationship between humans and freshwater ecosystems. From the reliance of human societies on water as a resource to the deeply spiritual connections with water places, people and rivers are inextricably interlinked. Consequently, the management of river systems is more than a biophysical activity. This theme will explore the connections between people and rivers, delve into the policy and social sciences that are an increasingly important component of river management.
ISRS 2025 Organizing Committee
Fiona Dyer
Center for Applied Water Science
University of Canberra, Australia
Sarah Yarnell
Center for Watershed Sciences
University of California, Davis, USA
Melissa Parsons
Department of Geography &
Planning
University of New England, Australia
Martin Thoms
Riverine Landscapes Research Laboratory
University of New England, Australia
