IIHR has been involved in river-related research since the lab’s beginnings. Some of the earliest experiments capitalized on IIHR’s experimental channel, which drew water directly from the adjacent dam on the Iowa River.

Much of IIHR’s research touches all our lives, affecting human health and well-being in meaningful ways. Studies of biofluids, environmental contaminants, vulnerability, and resilience are particularly relevant to each of us. In addition, projects focused on renewable energy and watersheds help remediate society’s negative impacts on the environment, leading to a more sustainable, enjoyable way of life for everyone.

Fluid mechanics, the study of fluid behavior at rest and in motion, is at the core of nearly all IIHR research. IIHR uses the basic governing equations of fluid mechanics to investigate a wide range of applications—river flow, atmospheric conditions, renewable energy (e.g., wind and water turbines), ship hydrodynamics, biological systems, and much more. For most of these applications, IIHR researchers use computational fluid dynamics to explore and solve fluid flow problems. They validate these models with data from experimental modeling, field work, or environmental sensors.

Beginning with the innovative Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) in 2011, IIHR has made easy online public access to research data the standard for its major research initiatives. IFIS is an easy-to-use, Google Maps–based web platform developed by the Iowa Flood Center. It provides real-time information on watersheds, precipitation, and stream levels for more than 1,000 Iowa communities. IIHR has developed similar online data access systems for water-quality information, watershed projects, well driller information, and more.