A Natural Method of River Restoration
A river is a complex body of water. When most people think of rivers and streams, they think of water moving rapidly and flowing freely. However, what is not as well known is that beneath the surface of a river is a stagnate body of water. A graph of velocity vectors of river water is parabolic, with zero flow at the bottom and maximum flow at the surface. The surface water of a river is oxygenated by the atmosphere, while the bottom water area is usually near-zero mg/l dissolved oxygen. To aid in river improvement and restore water quality, a river restoration inversion system is necessary to bring river water from the bottom to the surface.
CLEAN-FLO International has developed a water restoration process for river improvement and stream restoration that brings river water from the bottom of a river to the surface, so that the entire river is oxygenated by the system and the atmosphere. Toxic gases along the bottom are then neutralized and foul odors quickly disappear. We call this highly specialized aeration system and water treatment process “Continuous Laminar Flow Inversion and Oxygenation.” This river restoration system results in many benefits for river improvement, including better water quality. The same process can be used in stream restoration when the stream meets certain criteria.
Our River & Stream Restoration System
There are many reasons to apply our natural river restoration system:
First, inversion and oxygenation enables beneficial bacteria, insects, and fish to thrive on the bottom. In this process beneficial bacteria feed on the organic matter, and the organic sediment is biodegraded to carbon dioxide (which the CLEAN-FLO Process and aeration system exhausts into the atmosphere) and water. Insects feed on the organic matter and the bacteria; fish feed on the insects. The result is an overall improvement in fish health and growth rate. In any water body, when the bottom is oxygenated, phosphorus and nitrogen in the water column is bound to the sediment where it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria and insects.
Second, inversion and oxygenation will reduce disease-causing bacteria. Many pathogens are strict anaerobes and require a nutrient broth for survival, and practically all pathogens are killed by ultraviolet light emitted by the sun. Also, aerobic bacteria feed on pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, as a result of highly oxygenating the water body, creating an environment where aerobic bacteria thrive, reducing the nutrient media, raising the pH, and exposing pathogenic bacteria to sunlight, these pathogens are weakened or killed.
Utilizing the CLEAN-FLO Continuous Laminar Flow Inversion and Oxygenation aeration system and water treatment process for river improvement and stream restoration, all parameters of water quality greatly improve. The river water then becomes very clean and suitable for natural use.
A River Improvement Project
Helpe Mineure River Case Study: As a result of a river improvement project that utilized the CLEAN-FLO inversion and oxygenation aeration system technology, the City of Fourmies, France has been awarded the “Prix de l’Environment” award for cleaning up the Helpe Mineure River. Engineers worked with CLEAN-FLO International during the river restoration project. Approximately 43 kilometers of the Helpe Mineure River had been classified by the French Government as unsuitable for any use. The river was polluted with wastewater from a screw manufacturing plant, in addition to raw sewage from the city. The entire stretch of the formerly polluted river is now suitable for fishing, washing, and drinking water for animals.
To learn more about our river restoration system, contact us today!