Introduction

Every community has an origin story and a history. As new people come into the community and as existing members seek greater involvement, it is natural that people wonder how the community came to be and what issues the community has dealt with before. Often, the same issues return again and again, so awareness of past discussions and viewpoints can inform current decision-making. This part of the website aims to document the history of the Ecohydraulics community and track events into the future. History and current events have multiple angles, so if you have a voice you want to add to this part of the website, email Greg with your input and he’ll add it.

In the beginning…

Once upon a time there was a group of people who seemed to find each other’s presentations at conferences, as so often happens in science. They formed an informal group they named the “International Aquatic Modeling Group” (IAMG). It included people like Thom Hardy, Piotr Parasiewicz, Michel Leclerc, Klaus Jorde and Atle Harby, among others. They met at conferences and arranged informal meetings and workshops. However, it clearly went further than that, based on surviving IAMG documentation. As a formal entity, IAMG appears to have begun in or before 1995, with a European part initiated on 1 September 1995.

What exactly was the IAMG?

IAMG may have been informal in many ways, but it engaged in serious and meaningful scholarly activities. For example, a strategic plan was written and significant efforts were made to comprehend the scope of activities during meetings and workshops. Workshops involved both academic presentations and field trips to practice and develop practical skills.

EAMN and COST Action 626

Along with the larger IAMG, another related effort was taken: the formation of the International Aquatic Modeling Network — Europe, aka the European Aquatic Modeling Network. Some IAMG members applied for a COST Action and successfully obtained COST Action 626, “European Aquatic Modelling Group”. After COST Action 626 ended in 2004, IAMG was not as active, but it was always present at Ecohydraulics conferences.

Founding of the IAHR Ecohydraulics Technical Committee

Atle Harby’s viewpoint: “We were approached by IAHR — their president was actually a SINTEF colleague, Torkild Carstens. We agreed to form an Ecohydraulics Section in IAHR, but we also kept IAMG running (free of charge, no fees). We agreed then that IAMG members (which in principle could be anyone, as we had no fee or rules) would have equal access to IAHR Ecohydraulic Section member meetings as IAHR members. The big drawback with IAHR is that the membership fee is prohibitive for many people to join. With this twist, anyone interested could join. Ecohydraulics is formally linked to IAHR, but not only to IAHR.”

Thom Hardy comments: “IAMG embraced anyone who wanted to join the dance, but we would be happy to collaborate as part of our established ISE symposium series.”

Ecohydraulics TC 2000–2009

To be written.

Ecohydraulics TC 2010–2019

To be written.

Ecohydraulics TC 2020–

Well, here we are. The history for the future is yet to be written. Stay tuned.