Restoring the Liver of the River

Society faces significant challenges in sustainably managing water resources to meet increasing demand amidst disrupted supply, leading to increasing water scarcity. This chapter briefly explains the function of the hyporheic zone and how it is driven by processes in the stream and in the streambed, as well as how its properties effect the retention and transformation of pollutants. It outlines the characteristics of the environmental setting that should be considered when planning hyporheic restoration. The chapter discusses in more detail how the architecture and arrangement of restoration strategies and designs effect their influence on the hyporheic zone. It provides a series of scenarios, including environmental setting, pressure on the river system, and a solution to restore the hyporheic zone. The chapter also discusses potential synergies and conflicts between restoration of the hyporheic zone for improvements to water quality and for other objectives.