This report discusses "Active River Area" and the benefits it provides along with ways to protect the area to achieve river conservation.

Available online at

http://www.nature.org/initiatives/freshwater/files/active_river_area.pdf 

Healthy fish populations are dependent on streamflow regimes that protect the ecological integrity of their habitat. Fish habitats are the consequence of linkage among the stream, floodplain, riparian, and upland zones, and watershed geography. Fluvial-geomorphic processes form and control fish habitat. Because of this, multiple in-channel and out-of-channel flows are needed to maintain these processes. We present a conceptual methodology for measuring tour types of streamflow regimes: instream flows, channel maintenance flows, riparian maintenance flows, and valley maintenance flows. The combination of these four streamflow types is designed to protect fish and their habitat. Using a case study of the Salmon River near Whitebird, Idaho, we demonstrate how the methodology could be used to develop a multiple flow recommendation.