Restoration of whole valley floors to a Stage 0 condition is an ecologically-based goal for alluvial valleys that generally aims to store more water and sediment through restoring the key physical processes that created the alluvial valley.  “Undraining” an alluvial valley is approached by either raising the channel bed or regrading the valley to eradicate the channel, depending on the scale of incision, resources available, ownership, tolerance for disturbance, permit requirements, patience, and other considerations. This course will cover the theory and practice of Stage 0 restoration throughout the life cycle of a project, including: the underlying scientific theory; assessing when whole valley floor restoration is an appropriate goal; introduction to a range of methods of design and construction from progressive channel adjustment to wholesale grading to reset valley surfaces, and emerging monitoring methods aimed at quantifying the ecosystem benefits and costs of different restoration approaches. Permitting approaches in the context of California’s regulatory, land ownership and funding frameworks will be extensively discussed, and examples of successfully permitted and implemented valley floor restoration projects from diverse ecoregions will be provided. The workshop will be complimented by an optional field trip the next day to Willow Creek, a valley that was allowed to passively recover to Stage 0 after a careful assessment determined that that was the most cost-effective and ecologically beneficial approach. 

 A Stream Evolution Model Integrating Habitat and Ecosystem Benefits

 Process Domains and the River Continuum

 A Genetic Classification of Floodplains

 Regional Variation in Gravel Riverbed Mobility, Controlled by Hydrologic Regime & Sediment Supply

 Using Beaver Dams to Restore Incised Stream Ecosystems

 Biotic Drivers of Stream Planform: Implications for Understanding the Past and Restoring the Future

 A Process‐based Approach to Restoring Depositional River Valleys to Stage 0

 Assessing the Geomorphic Recovery Potential of Rivers

 Setting Goals in River Restoration: When and Where Can the River “Heal Itself”?