Em2 Stream Table

Em2 Stream Table

The Emriver Em2 Stream Table is perfect for demonstrating river science and conservation principles to audiences of all ages and educational backgrounds.  This model is optimized for ease of setup, use and portability.

Em2 at Water Conservation event in Japan

Measuring channel depth with the Crossbeam

Em2 at the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum

A Highly-Portable, Full-Size Stream Table

Flow Outlet Pipe

The moveable Flow Outlet pipe introduces water into the Stream Table

Em2 Box

The welded aluminum box is strong yet lightweight at only 18.2 kg (40 lbs).

Em2 Supports

Heavy-duty engineered aluminum folding supports create a standard box slope of 3.5%.

Emriver Modeling Media

The Em2 comes standard with 68 kg (150 lb) of non color-coded media. Color-coded media is available as an upgrade.

Reservior

The 102 L (27 gal) water reservoir is large enough to hold all the standard instruments and accessories for transport or storage.

Standpipe

The standpipe moves up and down to control stream slope.

Specifications

Dimensions

Box 1.9 m x 0.8 m (6.2 ft x 2.6 ft);
Model footprint 2.29 m x 0.86 m (90 in x 34 in)

Portability

Very portable.
Can be powered with a deep-cycle 12V battery. Can be stored in one square meter of floor space. Easily transported on a compact SUV or pick-up truck.

Water

102 L (27 gal)

Media Amount

68 kg (150 lb)

Media type

Non color-coded
(can upgrade to color-coded)

Base options

Static supports

System includes

Reservoir, pump, power supply, flow controller, sediment trap, energy dissipating unit. Modeling accessories: Measuring tape, limestone and plastic rip-rap, acrylic shapes to simulate culverts, plastic vegetation, dye injection bottles for visualizing flow, scoops, and scrapers. User and laboratory manual.

Upgrades

The following modular options can be added at any time: Color-Coded media, Accessories, Instruments.

Unlike table-top stream tables, the Em2 is large enough to model a full range of fluvial phenomena such as meanders, oxbows, and delta formation. Our Em2 stream table is also engineered for portability: it stores in as little as three feet square of closet space and can be quickly set up in a classroom by a single person. You can also transport the stream table for on-location teaching with a small pickup truck or SUV and power it with a 12V marine battery. Despite its compact size, the Em2 can easily accommodate 10 hands-on learners plus a teacher. Adding a second row of observers can allow a whole class to gather at the stream table. The Em2 is very popular with elementary through high schools, nature and conservation centers, and colleges.

All of the standard instruments and accessories fit into the single, 27-gallon reservoir for storage or transport, and it is easy to fill the model with a garden hose or 5-gallon buckets from a utility sink. The included pump will drain the system in less than 5 minutes and can be used to rinse out the model after removing the media. The Em2 comes with heavy-duty engineered aluminum folding stands that create a standard box slope of 3.5 percent (2 degrees). The slope can be lowered by putting an additional block under the downstream end of the table, and by raising the standpipe.

The Em2 comes standard with our Alpha thermoset plastic modeling media which is 60% lighter than sand, so it is easier to transport and models fluvial processes much more quickly. It also has a wider and more specific distribution of particle sizes than sand for a more accurate demonstration of channel morphology. Upgrading to color-coded-by size media opens the door to a deeper understanding of sedimentology and differential erosion, transport, and deposition. The Em2 uses 150 pounds of media packed in five, 5-gallon buckets for easy transportation and storage.

I’ve been using the Em2 for over a decade to teach kids about the anatomy of a healthy river system as well as the impacts that people may have upon them. Thanks to the hands-on nature of the Em2, students who experience the table are highly engaged and motivated to experiment and explore various concepts. The power of the model to illustrate complex concepts and largescale river events in such a clear, concise, and tangible way is simply priceless.

Ben Griffiths

River Kids Coordinator

New City School, St Louis, Missouri

We are very pleased with the Emriver Em2 Stream Table – it has more than met our expectations! In the first year, we have already conducted a wide range of experiments, including flow dynamics, meandering, flood simulations, tsunami demonstrations, river restoration, coastal transformation on a North Sea Island, and extreme rainfall events.

Carsten Spitzlay

Julius-Stursberg-Gymnasium, Germany

The Em2 River Model is an essential part of RiverLink’s environmental education programs, helping us bring the river into classrooms across Western North Carolina. By modeling erosion, riparian buffers, and flood mitigation, students can see and test real-world processes firsthand – transforming abstract watershed concepts into meaningful, hands-on learning experiences.

Justin Young

Education Director

River Link

The Em2 stream table offers a hands-on experience that ignites curiosity in adults and children alike. It is one of our most engaging outreach tools. We especially value its portability, which allows us to easily bring high-impact STEM learning to outreach settings. It is particularly meaningful in the Fargo–Moorhead region, as proximity to the Red River of the North allows participants to connect to lived experiences with flooding, erosion, and watershed processes.

Kayla Adamek

Outreach Coordinator

Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum

It really has been a thrill to see the reactions, both from students and teachers. We have met so many people in the last three days who have learned about our visits through the grapevine and taken time off from work to visit a session and request we build an even bigger conservation message through the use of the Emriver table

Steve Lockett

Executive Director

Mahseer Trust

I had the privilege of attending Winona State University where we had multiple stream tables and a large flume. These tools provided me a major advantage as a geoscience student, but they also played a key role in our department’s community education and outreach efforts. The tables naturally attract visitors of all ages! Children and parents alike let their curiosity guide them in conducting informal experiments- without even realizing it.

Sadie Neuman

Graduate

Winona State University

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