Skip to content

Functional Flows Calculator

Tool

California

Publication date: January 1, 2018

File format: URL

View resource
Explore California natural flows data for streams and rivers, compare observed and estimated natural flows, and access streamflow estimates and stream gage locations from 1950 to 2015.

Subject Tags

  • Rivers

Overview

Water is essential for California’s people, economy, and environment. Centuries of water management through dams and diversion have altered the flows in many streams and rivers, which can harm the freshwater ecosystems. The Nature Conservancy and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and other partners have generated estimates of natural flows (expected streamflow in the absence of human modification) in all the streams and rivers in California from 1950-2015. The Natural Flows Webapp provides a user-friendly interface to explore the data for all streams and rivers and compare observed flows to estimated natural flows at hundreds of stream gage locations.