Dr. LeRoy Poff’s seminal paper on the Natural Flow Regime represented a paradigm shift in the way scientists and managers conceptualize and manage rivers. It also represented a cornerstone upon which my own career in freshwater science, policy, and management has been built. In this talk, I will highlight three of Poff’s important contributions to the field: defining the form of river flow regimes, linking flow regime form and function, and charting a path for how to protect and manage flow regimes into the future. I will also describe how these contributions have created a foundation for much of my own work, seeking solutions to global water challenges that sustain the health of freshwater ecosystems.