OUR MISSION

Mission Statement

We imagine riverscapes that were once degraded and vulnerable, transformed into healthy and thriving ecosystems, through simple, cost-effective, low-tech process-based restoration actions that kickstarted recovery and self-sustaining fluvial and ecological processes. Once these processes were set in motion (e.g. successful reintroduction of beaver to appropriate areas), the footprint of the recovery spreads well beyond the footprint of the restoration actions.

Vision

At Anabranch Solutions, we aspire to a future where people hold deep respect for and engage in stewardship of rivers, enabling these vital ecosystems and their surrounding communities to reach their full potential.

  • Applicable

    At Anabranch Solutions, we believe in common-sense, science-based solutions that enable our clients to tackle restoration and conservation challenges.

  • Efficiency

    We are a one-stop, planning, design, build and adaptive management firm. We also specialize in knowledge transfer and sharing our skills and expertise with clients who want to be able to do more with the finite budgets they have.

  • Knowledge-Based

    We know that many of our clients are capable of undertaking restoration projects themselves, but may struggle in knowing where to start, how to build realistic expectations, and how to implement low-tech process-based solutions.

  • Do-It-Yourself

    Once some get started, they may be fairly comfortable, but seek some occasional advice and guidance. That’s where we come in!

The Riverscape as an Educator…

Our approach is different, and borrows from what rivers and streams can teach us. The key to simpler designs is working smarter and more efficiently to invest the restoration resources we have to maximize their impact across greater spatial extents.

A simpler design does not mean a less rigorous, or less robust design process. Our design process is hypothesis driven, and focuses on clearly articulating testable design hypotheses at every stage of the design.  

Design in Simplicity

We subscribe to the principles of design elegance that seemingly, effortlessly blend aesthetically pleasing form (habitat) and function (fluvial and ecological processes). Unlike firms that insist that only a licensed engineer and over-priced design will be able to do the job,  we know that when you work with natural fluvial and biotic processes to harness their dynamism, simpler designs will often suffice.

We believe the utility of more invasive approaches is limited to a small proportion of our degraded watersheds and waterways. Moreover, despite billions per year of investment in such approaches, the restoration industry has barely scratched the surface on the true scope and magnitude of the problem.