American’s Unwanted Dams Are Coming Down
Sixty dams have been removed or will be removed this year in 14 states and the District of Columbia, according to American Rivers’ annual survey of government and private conservation organizations.
The river conservation organization has counted 145 dams that have been removed since 1999 when the breaching of Edwards Dam on Maine’s Kennebec River first captured national attention. On the Kennebec, fish and other wildlife are returning to the river in numbers much larger than biologists predicted.
“There comes a time in the life of many dams when they begin to make less sense than they have in the past,” said Serena McClain, of American Rivers’ Rivers Unplugged campaign. “Communities across the country are electing to remove derelict and obsolete dams to restore their rivers, eliminate safety hazards, and save money.”
Only four dams to be removed in 2004 were ever used to generate hydroelectric power and all of them have been off the grid for many years.
American Rivers says that of the 77,000 dams greater than six feet high across the country, fewer than 2,500 generate electricity. Most were built for purposes such as running now obsolete mills, controlling floods, and creating water supplies or recreational lakes.
“For these communities, dam removal is not a radical environmental move, it is a common sense decision – the old dam isn’t being used, the river would much nicer without it, and it’s cheaper to take it out than to repair it,” said Helen Sarakinos with the River Alliance of Wisconsin.
Dams drown wildlife habitat under reservoirs and block fish migrations. Small dams are sometimes called “drowning machines” because they can create dangerous undertows, American Rivers says.
Benefits of dam removal include better water quality, revitalized fisheries, new recreational opportunities, and recovery of habitat suitable for parks and other public use.
“Free flowing rivers are a magnet for anglers, boaters, and other river users,” said Leon Szeptycki, Eastern conservation director for Trout Unlimited. “Healthy, attractive rivers are unique assets for the communities on their banks, and can be an economic asset that others can’t easily match.”
American Rivers, Trout Unlimited, and River Alliance of Wisconsin provide educational, technical, and financial assistance to communities interested in removing an unneeded dam.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
