In case you missed our pre-conference workshop "Advanced Computation Techniques for Applied Ecological Models", this presentation is a summary of several projects demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration combining river engineering analysis (hydraulic modeling, hydrological statistics) for ecological evaluation. This presentation presents analytical approaches where traditional river engineering supports environmental flows analysis and hydraulic modeling for physical habitat availability. Outcomes include mapping aquatic habitat, evaluating restoration site performance, and assessing adaptive management options. Opportunities in sediment management, river engineering, and environmental flows evaluation can reduce the uncertainty and increase the return on investment in heavily managed rivers. The contexts of these projects are the Rio Grande and the Kansas River, and discussion covers the effects of engineering in recent history (earthwork, levees, and dams) and using readily available engineering modeling tools (HEC, ArcGIS) to investigate environmental opportunities for restoration.