Welcome to the Sacramento River Ecological Flows Study information page. Below you will find links to documents produced in this Study that are available for download.

At the time of this Study's formulation, the CALFED program reflected the perspective of an emerging body of literature, which supports the interconnections between a river's flow regime and the species that have adapted to live within the riverine environment. CALFED's Ecosystem Restoration Plan Strategic Goal 2 included restoring the variability of the flow regime and associated river processes, "as an important component of restoring ecological function and supporting native habitats and species in the Bay-Delta ecosystem". The project was formulated to address CALFED program goals and hopefully lead to restoration and conservation of species and an eventual decrease in regulation.

The Study is specifically not focused on returning the river to some historic and un-altered flow regime. Instead, the Study seeks to identify how the river's flow regime (i.e., the magnitude, timing, duration, and frequency of flow) and management actions (such as gravel augmentation and changes in bank armoring) influence habitats, species, and hydrogeomorphic processes in the riparian corridor. Maintenance or restoration of the critical elements of these ecological processes and characteristics could contribute to a more well informed future development of scarce resources while still providing for human needs.