We reviewed studies of the effect of SBT on the downstream environment to clarify whether SBT has a positive effect on downstream, and to understand the key features of SBT that promote the environmental recovery of the degraded reaches. Major results of the studies are listed as follows. 1. Below-SBT site in the downstream of dam was more like upstream of dam than above-SBT site in the downstream of dam, in terms of bed grain size, microhabitat composition, and invertebrate community. 2. Environmental recovery of downstream reaches, evaluated by upstreamdownstream similarity in microhabitat composition and invertebrate community, corresponded with the years of SBT among the 4 dams. 3. Comparison of among-sites dissimilarity in invertebrate community among 3 types of rivers (non-dam, dam without SBT, dam with SBT) suggested a positive effect of SBT on habitat fragmentation. 4. Turbidity of downstream during and after floods and red tide occurrence in the reservoir decreased after the start of SBT. 5. Although bed level didn’t increase constantly, grain size, pool-riffle structure, gravel-bar changed as expected within a several years after the start of SBT. 6. Invertebrate community of downstream became more like that of upstream of dam within 2–3 years after the SBT in terms of both taxon richness and taxonomic composition. 7. Sediment releases by SBT acted as natural pulse disturbances that lower invertebrates and ecosystem functions, followed by their rapid recovery. 8. Numerical and field studies showed that the downstream channel becomes steeper and the riverbed becomes unarmored conditions by SBT. Surface grain size distribution can change quickly even by one SBT release. 9. Turbidity decreased after the SBT operation. Algae, invertebrates, and fish decreased after each event but they recovered to a pre-event level soon. 10. Although test-run of SBT had been done for several years, there was no evidence of the recovery in the invertebrate community of downstream reaches towards an upstream state. Downstream environment is expected to recover to a pre-dam state within a few to several years after the start of SBT if surface bed materials are reworked and exchanged. The downstream recovery by SBT that release mainly fine sediment will be examined by ongoing monitoring in multiple Japanese dams.