Color Palette(leave in to enable Natel colors)

01 THE PROBLEM Why Restoration Hydro?

Globally, the majority of watershed, river and wetland ecosystems have been highly altered and degraded. The

restoration of these ecosystems is not only possible, but also economically justifiable. Watershed restoration has been

proven to enhance the adaptive capacity of watershed ecosystems and surrounding communities to more effectively

absorb and rebound from the acute climatic shocks and longer-term climate shifts that will accompany climate change1,2.

02 THE SOLUTION What is Restoration Hydro?

Restoration Hydro is a design approach to site and build new, distributed hydropower at GW scale by combining

approaches used to restore watersheds, remove dams and build new recreational features (river surfing waves, white

water) with fish friendly, compact, modular hydropower. This inverts the design philosophy by integrating hydropower

with projects that deliver multiple positive benefits at the river basin scale. Restoration Hydro3 incorporates the

principles of nature-based engineering4 and biomimicry5,6 to strategically deploy complementary combinations of

permanent, semi-permanent and ephemeral low-head structures - both natural and engineered - that harness natural

geomorphological and hydrological processes at the river basin scale to: 1) restore watersheds’ natural ecological

function; 2) generate associated co-benefits that include increased groundwater recharge, improved fish habitat and

connectivity, improved sediment management, improved water security and water quality, and reduced water treatment

costs - all while generating reliable, renewable energy.

Engineered, naturalistic low-head structures:

● Slow and redirect water flows, and increase

subsurface water storage

● Trap and redistribute sediment to resuscitate

riparian habitats

● Improve or maintain upstream and downstream fish

passage

● Build new recreational features: river surfing waves

and white water

● Incorporate new low-head, fish-friendly

hydropower

of U.S. waterways

are degraded

of global vital source

watersheds are degraded

03 THE CONTEXT Developed & Developing Countries

The design of Restoration Hydro projects and associated environmental, social and water co-benefits vary considerably

depending on the development context of the project area. In developed countries, Restoration Hydro projects

generally focus on generating environmental and water co-benefits that include water quality improvements, sustained

increases in groundwater recharge rates and enhanced river, wetland and watershed health. In developing countries,

Restoration Hydro projects often incorporate dual-use infrastructure that directly enhances the livelihoods and

wellbeing of project area communities through linked irrigation and water-supply systems.

04 THE APPROACH Beyond Conventional Sustainability

Natel’s Restoration Hydro framework transcends conventional interpretations of social and environmental sustainability.

As opposed to merely minimizing a project’s negative impacts, Restoration Hydro generates financial return, while

restoring degraded ecosystems, preserving the ecological integrity of healthy ones, and enhancing the wellbeing of the

communities that depend upon them.

1 “The Power of Rivers: A Business Case.” The Nature Conservancy. 2018. https://global.nature.org/content/power-of-rivers2 “Environmental Markets and Stream Barrier Removal, An Exploration of Opportunities to Restore Freshwater Connectivity Through Existing Mitigation Programs.” https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/2017_Stream_Barrier_Removal_and_Mitigation_Report.pd4 Natel Energy Website. Restoration Hydro (www.natelenergy.com/restoration-hydro/)5 WWAP (United Nations World Water Assessment Programme)/UN-Water. 2018. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2018: Nature-Based Solutions for Water. Paris, UNESCO.6 “An approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies”. Biomimicry Institute.