The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) has recently completed the first phase of the Sacramento Valley Historical Ecology Study. This effort uses diverse historical data to identify natural landscape patterns that existed before the development of flood control and other modern infrastructure in the Sacramento Valley. This study will be of great value to efforts underway through Floodplain Forward and Floodplains Reimagined to mimic or recreate historic floodplains in the Sacramento Valley to provide habitat benefits to fish, birds and other species, while ensuring water for farms and communities throughout the region.
More details on the study are available here.
As part of this effort, SFEI has developed an interactive, online StoryMap detailing the historical habitat patterns and channels of the Sacramento Valley.
