What Sustainable Streams does

Sustainable Streams, LLC is a Kentucky-based environmental engineering and ecological restoration consulting firm founded by Dr. Robert J. Hawley (Ph.D., P.E.). The firm provides stream restoration, wetland restoration, stormwater management, watershed planning, monitoring and modeling, and asset planning and protection services. Its clients are primarily municipal sewer districts, county conservation districts, state environmental and natural resource agencies, and regional park systems concentrated in the Ohio River Valley, with documented engagements extending into Georgia, Texas, and Washington.

The firm's underlying technical platform combines applied ecological science with civil engineering practice. Sustainable Streams holds US Patent 10,316,506 (issued 2019) for the Detain H2O detention pond retrofit device, a proprietary physical product aimed at improving the performance of existing stormwater detention infrastructure. The firm has built scientific authority through 60+ peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2011 and 2026, including the 2025 Qcritical stormwater management methodology in Freshwater Science. The team operates with seven core staff members and maintains Professional Engineering licensure in five states (GA, KY, OH, TX, WA), which is a prerequisite for signing and sealing engineering deliverables in those jurisdictions.

Sustainable Streams runs a project-based professional services business model. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service contracts with public-sector and nonprofit clients for planning, design, permitting, construction oversight, and monitoring. The firm has delivered more than 30 documented projects, anchored by the high-profile Lick Run Stream Daylighting project for the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, which reportedly saved approximately $170M relative to a tunnel alternative. Geographic operations center on Kentucky and Ohio, with licensed reach and project references extending to additional states for selective engagements.

Name

Sustainable Streams

Legal name

Sustainable Streams, LLC

Website

https://sustainablestreams.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Streams, LLC is a Kentucky-based environmental engineering and ecological restoration consulting firm providing stream and wetland restoration, stormwater management, watershed planning, and monitoring services to municipal sewer districts, conservation districts, and state agencies across the Ohio River Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Engineering Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Stream restoration services
• Watershed management consulting
• Stormwater management services
• Wetland restoration consulting
• Environmental engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Technical Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for stream restoration, wetland restoration, stormwater management, and watershed planning. Revenue generated through project-based consulting engagements with government agencies, environmental organizations, and public utilities. Projects are procured via public RFPs and direct client relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sustainable Streams is a specialized environmental consulting firm that provides professional engineering and scientific services for river and watershed management. The firm's core offerings include stream restoration, wetland restoration, stormwater management, watershed planning, monitoring and modeling, asset planning and protection, and stream daylighting, delivered through project-based consulting engagements.

Product overview

Sustainable Streams is a specialized environmental consulting firm providing science, service, and solutions for river and watershed management. Their portfolio consists of six core service offerings: Stream Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Stormwater Management, Watershed Planning, Monitoring and Modeling, and Asset Planning and Protection. These services work together as an integrated approach to provide comprehensive river/watershed solutions, with expertise ranging from experimental and applied research to technical consulting and charitable environmental improvement projects. The company operates as a consulting practice delivering professional engineering and scientific expertise rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stream Restoration
• Wetland Restoration
• Stormwater Management
• Watershed Planning
• Monitoring and Modeling
• Asset Planning and Protection
• Stream Daylighting

Quantifiable outcome

• Lick Run project saved $170M relative to sewer storage tunnel alternative while mitigating Cincinnati's largest combined sewer overflow
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Mill Creek AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on stream restoration projects in the Mill Creek watershed, including Sharon Creek Restoration and Evendale Commons projects. Mill Creek Alliance serves as project sponsor and community partner.
• Clermont Soil and Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on multiple watershed restoration projects including Williamsburg Floodplain Wetland Restoration and East Fork Riparian Reserve. SWCD serves as project lead and funding partner.
• Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater CincinnaticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor projects including Lick Run Stream Daylighting (~5,700 feet, $170M savings), Glenway Woods Stream Daylighting (~3,200 feet), and low head dam mitigation. MSD serves as project owner and funder.
• Boone County Conservation DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStormwater renovation projects including Gateway Campus (43-acre) and SPUI Bioretention Stream-Wetland Complex. Conservation District serves as project sponsor.
• Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern KentuckymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStreambank stabilization and rehabilitation projects including Banklick Wetland and Dry Creek boulder riffle. SD1 serves as project owner addressing sewer and stormwater infrastructure protection.
• Strand AssociatesmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering design partnership on Glenway Woods Stream Daylighting project. Strand Associates provided civil engineering services alongside Sustainable Streams' fluvial geomorphic and engineering design.
• Human NaturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partnership on Glenway Woods Stream Daylighting project, providing landscape architecture and naturalistic design services.
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonitoring partner on Glenway Woods project providing chemical, hydrologic, and ecological monitoring. EPA recognizes watershed planning success (Gunpowder Creek delisting).
• US Geological Survey (USGS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonitoring partner on Glenway Woods project providing hydrologic and ecological monitoring services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering consultancy with a large water and environmental practice including stream restoration, stormwater management, and watershed planning. Overlaps with Sustainable Streams on municipal water infrastructure RFPs.
• Tetra Tech: Large global engineering and consulting firm with a major water resources and environmental restoration practice. Competes with Sustainable Streams on larger municipal stormwater, watershed, and CSO projects, but at a much broader scale.
• WSSI (a Davey Tree company): Wetland and stream mitigation/restoration consultancy acquired by Davey Tree, serving Mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. municipalities. Comparable project types (stream restoration, wetland creation, stormwater design) with broader geographic reach.
• Normandeau Associates: Environmental consulting firm offering ecological services including stream and wetland assessment, permitting, and restoration. Comparable in serving state and municipal clients with environmental compliance and habitat restoration work.
• RES (Resource Environmental Solutions): Large-scale ecological restoration company delivering stream and wetland mitigation, water quality, and habitat projects for utilities and government. Comparable services but at an institutional scale with private equity backing.

Direct peers

• Inter-Fluve: Specialized river and watershed restoration consulting firm applying geomorphic and ecological principles, with offices across the western U.S. Closely aligned methodology and target clientele (municipalities, conservation districts, NGOs).
• Biohabitats: Ecological restoration consulting firm offering stream, wetland, and watershed restoration services to public and private clients. Highly comparable mission, service mix, and customer base to Sustainable Streams, albeit at a larger scale (~150+ staff).
• River Design Group: Stream restoration and watershed science consulting firm providing fluvial geomorphology and engineering services to government and nonprofit clients. Comparable in specialty focus and catchments (Pacific Northwest, U.S.).
• Ecosystem Planning and Restoration (EPR): Stream and wetland restoration consulting firm serving federal, state, and municipal clients across the U.S. Directly comparable in service offerings (stream restoration, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, wetland design) and customer profile.

Emerging players

• Geomorph Design: Small specialized consulting firm focused on stream restoration using geomorphic principles. Comparable in size and approach to Sustainable Streams, with similar reliance on principal expertise and public RFP channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainablestreams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-streams

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Streams