News release: The science that transformed a dry streambed into an oasis
Laura Norman stood by the trickling stream and let the enchantment of her surroundings wash over her. The landscape was verdant, lush even, but Norman wasn’t standing in a tropical paradise. In fact, her oasis was in one of the driest, hottest regions in the world, and only a handful of years ago, this gully was virtually barren of plants. … But it wasn’t a spell or a massive feat of engineering that caused moisture to seep into the land, allowing plants to grow and creating habitat for aquatic animals. It was simple technology that when carefully applied, allowed the laws of nature to transform the land. The simple technology Norman and her team used was a type of nature-based solution they call Natural Infrastructure in Dryland Streams, or NIDS. Essentially, NIDS are structures made of rock, wood or mud that people or reintroduced beavers construct across the flow of water in a gully, creek or stream.