[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6076672,"mediaKeyId","2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0","parentId",2968272,"title","CDFW funds $2 million project to operationalize California Environmental Flows Framework","audioSeconds",1026,"startMs",2616000,"endMs",3642000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0&start=2616&end=3642","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0/thumbnail_2616000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6076672/California/CDFW-funds-2-million-project-to-operationalize-California-Environmental-Flows-Framework","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076672-1e490e62651b3118d7bdc18284227ddb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773705881&Signature=VhrLOvng2gc4LBRyB6r8u6M~74iD~qt8GYJx9A904kicAfh0nzh-pDoEtMXNIOQMiZbwHajPY5FO~qbWcbuGy0hTk7doUjYj2PUOo7FVSTIHq-bluM9X4LoJEpgfC9HZGQwhp3iEa0frmM9xfBOaPrk9KY1AJS0PUKqoy3udwDe9Uvav6nj6i~f0X6-m-gM9rH8rB73FDKRanZfJyapOO34KHJpmFICWUl9FcF-d8LdXaPbSeWJwsImPV2Go~wBPlSLOXpg8SOj~ouV8eu8OtGlC~Nwj8qv-0g7OmnBHBGLvH6uIqREoj6zusfi0mqz3QGxOtmJGS2zNap3cTEXObQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State Water Resources Control Board","date","2025-04-11T23:13:49Z","article","The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has funded an approximately $2 million, three-year project to advance implementation of the California Environmental Flows Framework (CEF), a statewide technical approach that identifies protective ranges of functional flow components for stream reaches, a presenter told the California Environmental Flows Work Group.

Why it matters: The grant is intended to move CEF from a statewide technical dataset and calculator toward routine use by practitioners and agencies for applications including dam operations, restoration, groundwater planning and regulatory compliance.

Project goals and partners
Chris Taniguchi Quan, who provided the staff update during the meeting, described three primary workstreams funded by the grant: (1) improve and refine models and tools to predict flows important for fish and wildlife, with a focus on better handling of flashy and intermittent streams and exploring deep-learning integrations; (2) develop methods to quantify groundwater–surface-water interactions and groundwater-depletion effects on surface flows in targeted case studies; and (3) track implementation of existing environmental-flow requirements across the state and develop outreach and implementation guidance based on case-study lessons learned.

Taniguchi Quan said the work will build on existing datasets and tools — including the functional-flows calculator developed by TNC and UC Davis — and on analytics developed by the State Water Board Division of Water Rights. He said the project will pilot modeling approaches in selected case studies, refine methods to link flow changes to water-quality responses (for example stream temperature and dissolved oxygen), and then synthesize practical implementation guidance for agencies and practitioners.

Funding, schedule and coordination
Presenters said the project is funded at about $2,000,000 and will run three years. The initial development of the statewide models and tools was funded by the State Water Board Division of Water Rights, and this CDFW grant is intended to support the next phase focused on operationalization, tracking and outreach. Team partners include TNC, UC Davis and other organizations shown on a collaboration slide displayed during the meeting.

Tracking implementation and training
The project includes a synthesis and reconciliation step: presenters said they will combine the State Water Board’s existing dashboard of environmental-flow requirements with additional documents and newly identified requirements to produce a more complete inventory. Where observed data (gauges or other observations) exist, the team will evaluate whether stated flow requirements are being achieved on the ground. The grant also funds development of training materials, workshops and stakeholder outreach to help agencies and practitioners apply the framework consistently.

Open questions and next steps
Attendees discussed whether intermittent flows are an issue where cannabis cultivation occurs; Ethan from CDFW’s Office of Cannabis said many monitored streams that include cannabis cultivation are headwater streams that can be perennial in places but also include high-elevation or upland irrigated uses. Presenters invited collaboration on case studies and said they will use the Environmental Flows Work Group as a forum for ongoing feedback.

Ending
Project leads said they expect to begin work within weeks and will return to the work group with updates and opportunities for collaboration, pilot participation and review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","California Environmental Flows Workgroup February 11, 2025 Meeting Recording","oneSentenceSummary","California Department of Fish and Wildlife awarded roughly $2 million to a multi‑partner project to further operationalize the California Environmental Flows Framework, focusing on refined modeling, groundwater–surface-water linkages, implementation tracking and outreach.","taxTitle","State Water Resources Control Board, Agencies under Office of the Governor, Executive, California","taxId",16198,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6076678,"Upstream Tech presents statewide reach-scale daily historical flow datasets to CEF work group",2452,148000,2600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0&start=148&end=2600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0/thumbnail_148000.jpg","/articles/6076678/California/Upstream-Tech-presents-statewide-reach-scale-daily-historical-flow-datasets-to-CEF-work-group","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076678-d87f4e2be8cadd7e5386f1dfcc50b7aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1773705881&Signature=DfT0qBtMgMEo0j1ZZyoY3K6uSrkuu5eIEzN-tBXqdNLohx0fLu3QYVEqe2H4UFiXumhemdi9Wscmp--C4W2DIENgss08yfCXHf5ZbBPohNnqsdeYCKNsSJaxvGnnMmqy0ikOXj-NW939Loqa7nJey4Fuf4IEAoaAh4-UAWh9IBUZUvqFCcNwICx-PTKIHgNFmbeiyDfQV4H6Q~6I07nlebASZA3Yzv21el7S6v81vmljnLiY7KX1ZPYPtJtO3yBB-L92XZN1Xt7g7YTLWbemVC5juKMMx37OhnXTil~bY5vzdGVtu1Cff-49c~1X-anDFGT1yCFEO~QpcqEwAe1sng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Upstream Tech presented new statewide reach-scale daily flow datasets to the California Environmental Flows Work Group during a virtual meeting, describing two products: daily unimpaired-flow predictions and daily actual-flow predictions covering about 20 years at reach scale on NHDPlus flow-lines.

The datasets — one intended to represent natural (unimpaired) flows and one representing observed/managed (actual) flows — were trained using machine-learning approaches and validated against held-out gauges in California, presenters said. Mustafa Alkurdy, a machine-learning modeling engineer at Upstream Tech, said the project produced reach-scale predictions on thousands of NHD flow-line segments and that the team downscaled subbasin predictions to reach-level outputs.

Why it matters: Managers, researchers and practitioners told the group the new products should help fill observational gaps where gauges are missing, support applications such as functional-flow calculations and inform planning for restoration, reservoir operations and water-allocation studies.

How the datasets were produced and validated
Upstream Tech described a multi-step approach: (1) train base models on many gauged sites to learn basic hydrologic behavior; (2) route predictions through subbasins tuned to local flow dynamics; and (3) downscale routed predictions to NHD reach units. Laura Reed, of Upstream Tech’s hydro-forecast team, said, “we've actually delivered the 2 final datasets of daily unimpaired flow predictions and … actual flow predictions for about 20 years, and those are statewide.”

The team trained the actual-flows model on roughly 1,770 gauged sites across the conterminous U.S. and the unimpaired model on about 500 reference (unimpaired) gauged sites, Alkurdy said. For evaluation they reserved a set of California gauges the models had not seen during training and compared predicted hydrographs to observations at those locations.

Scope and data footprint
Presenters said the prediction grid began with about 80,000 NHD flow-lines and, after filtering, produced predictions for roughly 30,000–50,000 reach segments for the full 20-year period. Results and maps are planned for public hosting; presenters said TNC (The Nature Conservancy) will host an interactive map and that a final report and a peer-reviewed publication are expected.

Performance: where the models perform best and where they are weaker
Upstream Tech reported stronger performance in snowmelt-driven basins and large basins, and generally better results for base flows than for flashy high flows. Reed and Alkurdy showed validation summaries using metrics including bias, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Pearson correlation and normalized RMSE. In discussion Pauline (participant) asked about NSE and RMSE; presenters explained NSE ranges up to 1 (perfect) and that RMSE is in flow units and is normalized by the site mean to allow comparison across sites.

Areas of lower confidence include small, dry, highly intermittent basins (common in southern California), and locations downstream of regulated dams where reservoir operations strongly alter flows. Alkurdy said the actual-flows model performs well below gauges because the model uses upstream gauge observations to route downstream predictions, producing narrow confidence bounds where observations are available. By contrast, locations directly below dam outlets — where operational releases are not represented in the training inputs — showed wider uncertainty and larger errors.

Representation of human impacts
Presenters said human-impairment signals (dams, canals, impervious area) were represented through available datasets (for example EPA StreamCat and other catchment-scale variables), but the models do not include operational rules or time-varying diversion schedules. As Mustafa Alkurdy put it, the training data can help the model learn patterns produced by regulated and diverted systems, but the team cannot subtract explicit diversion volumes or reservoir release schedules unless those data are available. Presenters noted the model tends to widen its confidence bounds where upstream regulation is known to exist.

Use cases and next steps
Participants asked whether the unimpaired dataset could feed mechanistic reservoir-operations models; presenters agreed that unimpaired inflow predictions could be used as input to reservoir-scenario modeling and then routed downstream to produce scenario-based downstream flow time series. Reed said the team plans to make the datasets public and to finalize the project report while TNC hosts the interactive map.

Availability
Meeting participants were told the data and final report will be posted publicly; a participant noted that Ron (not on the call) had indicated the data would be accessible by the end of 2025 and that the project team would share availability with the work group when ready.

Ending
Presenters encouraged follow-up questions and provided contact emails and said they would share slides with the group. Upstream Tech’s work was presented as a complement to existing gauges and to be used in concert with local mechanistic modeling where operational reservoir or diversion data exist.","Upstream Tech presented new statewide reach-scale daily flow datasets to the California Environmental Flows Work Group, describing paired unimpaired and actual daily flow predictions for about 20 years at NHDPlus reach scale.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6076667,"International Society for River Science to hold biennial symposium at UC Davis; abstracts and early-bird registration planned",608,3878000,4486000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0&start=3878&end=4486","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2968272-731d6aa5cea23f15509b24fa8ee455f0/thumbnail_3878000.jpg","/articles/6076667/California/International-Society-for-River-Science-to-hold-biennial-symposium-at-UC-Davis-abstracts-and-early-bird-registration-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076667-77bae27fbebb0f9f3a7d9abf86344b42/orig.mp4?Expires=1773705881&Signature=Jy5hEzCEWWSTGgRb1LP6sBpuICh6jiJrM445Xx41rUFwfAXFyARGEJ8Lmah2S394~8GYR7Uur0Jjhff9A0XJTo-0tujdzqS1bbHYufERIDNexATxVkXj21oZj65PuWZ9A~hsfB746UugrdQvXvbLgtFEf5ZD3a8N3gkkkcUoQFBsXNph23EtHF~0EMn5Krhbo~xg8nJwdmofUg9RhgT8gvcOvRGA7dtoivsuOwXmNRcF6a5NPiwLAr6SO2LYrzPw66~UGmyNvJCkviN12ISMcfSN1znZPEZLiqKG5APwWFJr732jv91qoDoBXcw4tZSvNW5DCKR5BWxyqsndVIV59w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Organizers announced that the International Society for River Science (ISRS) will hold its biennial symposium at UC Davis in October, providing an opportunity for river scientists, managers and practitioners to share research, methods and management experiences.

What was announced and why it matters
Sarah Yarnell (conference co-host) told the California Environmental Flows Work Group that ISRS is a smaller, international society focused on river research and practice (the society manages the journal River Research and Applications). The meeting typically attracts a global community — Europeans, Australians, New Zealanders, North and South American researchers and others — and organizers said the symposium is an opportunity for California practitioners to engage with that international community on topics such as environmental flows, restoration, river management and monitoring.

Timing, registration and participation
Special-session proposals are being solicited immediately; abstracts will open at the end of the month or in early March and remain open for about six weeks (roughly through mid‑April). Registration (including early-bird pricing) will open after abstract selection; organizers estimated early-bird full-week registration at roughly $700–$750, with higher rates after the early-bird period. The weeklong program will include plenaries, parallel technical sessions, a poster session, local field trips (some included in registration; some at extra cost), and a conference banquet.

Organizers invited proposals for special sessions, offers to help host field trips and sponsorships; they said there is no fee to submit an abstract and that day-only registration will be available. Links and details were posted in the meeting chat, and organizers asked interested parties to contact the conference planning team if they wanted to sponsor sessions or contribute field-trip options.

Ending
Organizers encouraged work-group members to submit abstracts, propose special sessions and consider field-trip or sponsorship support; they said detailed timelines and registration links are posted in the meeting chat.","Organizers announced that the International Society for River Science (ISRS) will hold its biennial symposium at UC Davis in October. Special-session proposals are being solicited immediately; abstracts and early-bird registration will open in the spring. Organizers estimated early-bird full-week registration at about $700–$750.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CDFW funds $2 million project to operationalize California Environmental Flows Framework

Upstream Tech presents statewide reach-scale daily historical flow datasets to CEF work group

International Society for River Science to hold biennial symposium at UC Davis; abstracts and early-bird registration planned