In 2022, OAEC’s WATER Institute joined forces with a team of other natural resource professionals, agencies and organizations to launch the California Process-based Restoration (Cal PBR) Network, which in 2025, became an official Fiscally Sponsored Project of OAEC.
Process-based restoration (PBR) is a holistic approach to restoring degraded watersheds that aims to re-establish keystone processes such as sediment transport, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and fire resiliency. Process-based restoration considers the functions and needs of the entire watershed – from ridgeline to reef – and seeks to harness naturally occurring, onsite energy and materials to achieve upland, river, wetland, floodplain, and estuary restoration goals. A stewardship mentality guides PBR practices. They are adaptive over time to environmental feedback with the goal of encouraging a self-sustaining, dynamic ecosystem. Learn more about PBR
The goal of the Cal PBR Network is to increase the capacity of practitioners to design and implement process-based restoration approaches to restore degraded ecosystems and build California’s resiliency to drought, wildfire, and climate change. This open-source network provides a central hub for information exchange, cross-disciplinary dialogue, and collaboration between diverse partners.
Every year, the Network convenes in-person “Build Like a Beaver” (BLAB) trainings for practitioners, land managers, and regulators interested in gaining hands-on experience in designing, permitting, and implementing process-based restoration techniques at a watershed scale.
Check out the following blogs from past trainings to learn more about these inspiring events:
