Our conventional understanding of infrastructure relates primarily to engineered and built infrastructure; the basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions. More recently, there has been increased recognition that the natural environment and its structures and composition also provide critical functions that support the continuity and growth of human society, and that these elements of “natural infrastructure” merit the same priority for investment and management as built infrastructure.

The stream corridor includes the active channel, its riparian zone and floodplain and defined valley. This system is a critical component of a healthy watershed and constitutes a major part of a watersheds natural infrastructure. This 4^th International Natural Channel Systems Conference will examine:

• connections between stream corridors to watershed health and biodiversity;
• a review of what is/isn't working, applications to highly constrained areas and what is new in NCS management;
• revisiting of the definition of the NCS approach, successes and gaps in its current application and next steps in its development and application; and
• reiterating the need to consider multiple scales in corridor management (from watershed planning down to the reach level)

Concurrent Sessions are planned to explore the following themes and more:

• Regulatory Environment of Natural Channel System Design
• Ecological Requirements for Natural Channel Systems
• Tools for Designing Natural Channel Systems
• Performance of Natural Channel Systems
• Applying Natural Channel System Approach in a constrained system (e.g., urban, agricultural drains, mining, old dam removal or modification, etc.)