Fish Habitat Restoration — Groyne Design and Function in Rivers

NRTG’s MicroCourses offer a dynamic training pathway that’s as flexible as it is enriching to build expertise. Our Groyne Design and Function in Rivers course, spanning four hours, delivers in-depth training in an easily digestible format. It’s designed to maximize your skills for immediate application.    

Erosion control is a common challenge in streambank management, and selecting the right tools is key to success. Effective bank protection should maximize stability, minimize environmental impact, and require little to no maintenance. Rock groynes, or flow retarders, provide a versatile solution by harnessing the river’s energy to rebuild banks while offering long-term, maintenance-free protection when properly constructed. 

In this MicroCourse, you’ll explore the design and application of rock groynes, with a focus on real-world examples of both successful and unsuccessful projects. Through interactive desktop exercises, participants will gain hands-on experience in designing groynes for streambank protection. Please note: Access to a computer with Google Earth Pro installed is required. 

This course is ideal for those looking to enhance their expertise in sustainable, low-maintenance streambank stabilization techniques. 

Recommended pre-requisite: Fish Habitat Restoration — Primer on Stream Hydrology 

Course will be 4 hours long.   

Jeff Sereda, PhD.

Senior Fisheries Ecologist, Adjunct Professor University of Saskatchewan
Headshot of Jeff Sereda, Senior Fisheries Ecologist and NRTG instructor.

Jeff holds a PhD. in Limnology and an Aquaculture Technician Diploma. He served as manager of a commercial salmonid hatchery for 4 years, lectured at the University of Saskatchewan on topics of fish physiology, taxonomy, ecology, conservation, and aquaculture. Currently, Jeff is a Senior Habitat and Population Ecologist with the Saskatchewan Government and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan.

Jeff’s research has encompassed topics such as assessing the risk of lakes to anthropogenic eutrophication, macrophyte management, fish habitat restoration, and the impacts of water management on species as risk (Bigmouth Buffalo, Chestnut Lamprey, Mountain Sucker, and Lake Sturgeon). Jeff’s research has been presented at over 60 national and international conferences and resulted in 15 peer reviewed publications.