Globally, many dams are now managed for environmental objectives in addition to their original purposes such as water supply, flood control, power generation or navigation. The rationale for managing dams for flows to achieve environmental objectives is based on sound scientific and socioeconomic understanding of the importance of natural flow regimes to river ecosystem health and services to society.

A range of environmental and socioeconomic benefits have been documented in response to different types and examples of managed environmental flow components. While environmental flow management can be remarkably beneficial, its effectiveness in improving ecosystem health and services is limited where structural constraints or conflicting operational demands prevent reestablishment of critical components of natural flow, or where other threats limit ecosystem responses to flow management.

This document summarizes types and degrees of benefits that have been documented from monitoring impacts of environmental flow management, providing empirical evidence to draw from for developing impact goals and objectives, informing monitoring and measures approaches, selecting project sites that have greater potential for success and leveraging this activity more broadly.

Suggested citation: J. V. Higgins & C. P. Konrad. 2012.  A Review of Benefits to People and Nature from Environmental Flow Management. The Nature Conservancy.  Conservation Gateway. http://www.conservationgateway.org/file/review-benefits-people-and-nature-environmental-flow-management

** Image credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers