In 2000, with a grant from the California Bay Delta Authority (CBDA/CALFED) the Watershed Center began a 3-year study of the hydrogeomorphic conditions and aquatic biology of the Lower Cosumnes River and its highly regulated neighbor, the Mokelumne River.

This effort focused on identifying the hydrologic and geomorphic processes necessary for restoring and sustaining the ecologic integrity of floodplains.

The project included the following elements: upper watershed hydrologic modeling; lower watershed groundwater hydrology; geomorphology of the floodplain; biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling in aquatic and floodplain habitats; ecology of fish and aquatic invertebrate communities, riparian bird surveys; and an analysis of the reestablishment of riparian forests.