Looking Back: Our Reflection on the Water
SAFL was designed and built in the 1930s under the direction of Lorenz G. Straub with funds from the Works Progress Administration and the University of Minnesota. The building was dedicated on November 17, 1938 and the Laboratory began its work in hydraulic and river engineering research as part of the Department of Civil Engineering.

Through the years, SAFL has continued to be successful thanks to an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and an ability to lead at the cutting edge of fluid mechanics research, adapting its focus to serve society’s changing needs.

Looking Ahead: Navigating the Future
As a leading research facility, we find ourselves at the beginning of the 21st century facing a challenging and exciting world of fast-paced changes. Building on our traditional strengths in areas such as environmental fluid mechanics, hydrology, sediment transport, and geomorphology, we are ready to confront pressing societal issues at the energy/environment nexus.