The Connecticut River Flow Restoration Study is a watershed-scale assessment of the potential for flow restoration through dam re-operation. Initiated by The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and completed in June 2018, the study is designed to examine whether operational changes at the watershed’s largest dams could restore more natural flow patterns, creating environmental benefits, while maintaining important services, including drinking water, flood management, and hydropower.
The study—the first of its kind in the Connecticut River watershed—focused specifically on 14 flood-management dams operated by the USACE. Other partners collaborating on the study included the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Department of Environmental and Water Resource Engineering, and the USACE Hydrologic Engineering Center.