Canadian Rivers Institute

Water Science of the First Order

Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI) is internationally recognized as the go-to source for advancing river, estuary, and watershed sciences and ecological sustainability.

Find out how the CRI can contribute to the success of your river, estuary, or watershed project.

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Our Objective

The objective of the CRI is to build a network of researchers with common interests in aquatic science across universities, government, and industry. The CRI uses a multidisciplinary and cross-sector approach to focus its research on societal demands for water resources while addressing the challenges of sustaining, healthy aquatic ecosystems. This innovative model merges academic ideas-based and applied needs-based science and promotes the rapid transfer of new knowledge to regulatory agencies to create effective public policy for improving society and the quality of life in Canada and abroad.

Hynes Lectures

In 2002, the CRI initiated its annual lecture series by conferring of an Honorary Doctoral Degree to Dr. H.B.N. Hynes.

Dr. H.B. Noel Hynes is the world’s most renowned freshwater biologist and a Distinguished Emeritus Professor at the University of Waterloo. Referred to as "the father of running water ecology", he has published extensively, including his definitive textbook on river ecology, The Ecology of Running Waters.

Education and Training

The CRI delivers undergraduate and graduate training in river sciences, and field-based, training opportunities for students and professionals in areas of benthic invertebrate sampling, electrofishing, watershed management, river restoration, ecosystem sciences, and ecotoxicology.