Dam
emoval
o
the
Middle
Fo k
Nooksack
Rive ,
Washi gto
(Ame ica
Rive s
photos)
The
U ited
States
emoved
100
dams
ac oss
30
states
i
2025,
eco ecti g
mo e
tha
4,893
miles
of
ive s,
acco di g
to
a
epo t
by
the
o ga isatio
Ame ica
Rive s.
The
o ga isatio
said
it
was
the
la gest
umbe
of
upst eam
ive
miles
eco ected
th ough
dam
emoval
i
a
si gle
yea
i
the
US.The
emoval
of
these
dams
has
allowed
wate
to
flow
f eely
agai
i
places
whe e
ive s
had
bee
blocked
fo
decades,
a d
i
some
cases,
fo
ce tu ies.
The
wo k
is
also
helpi g
esto e
access
to
habitats
used
by
fish
a d
othe
wildlife.Pe sylva ia
emoved
the
highest
umbe
of
dams
i
the
US
i
2025,
with
14
st uctu es
take
out.
The
state
ow
has
433
docume ted
dam
emovals
si ce
1912.Othe
states
i
the
No theast
also
eco ded
sig ifica t
umbe s.
Massachusetts
emoved
11
dams
i
2025,
while
Ve mo t
emoved
i e.
Floodi g
i
both
states
has
highlighted
the
eed
to
add ess
faili g
dams
a d
u de sized
oad-st eam
c ossi gs.
Why
a e
old
dams
bei g
emoved?
Ma y
dams
i
the
US
a e
o
lo ge
se vi g
the
pu pose
fo
which
they
we e
o igi ally
built.
The
cou t y
has
mo e
tha
500,000
dams
i
its
atio al
i ve to y,
a d
ma y
a e
o
lo ge
ge e ati g
powe ,
supplyi g
wate
o
se vi g
a othe
p actical
pu pose.
At
the
same
time,
they
ca
affect
ive
ecosystems
a d
public
safety.Dams
ca
cha ge
the
way
ive s
atu ally
flow.
Whe
a
dam
blocks
a
ive ,
it
ca
p eve t
fish
f om
eachi g
spaw i g
a eas
upst eam.
Wate
held
behi d
dams
ca
also
become
wa me
a d
mo e
stag a t.
Additio ally,
some
agei g
ca
also
c eate
safety
isks
a d
i c ease
floodi g
co ce s
du i g
sto ms.Ecology
was
the
most
commo ly
cited
easo
fo
dam
emoval
i
2025.
It
was
give
as
a
easo
fo
59
of
the
100
p ojects
completed
du i g
the
yea .
Dilapidated
o
faili g
st uctu es
we e
the
seco d
most
commo
easo ,
with
37
p ojects.
Safety
co ce s
we e
cited
i
20
p ojects.The
effects
ca
begi
soo
afte
a
dam
is
emoved.
The
epo t
said
bugs
ca
etu
withi
days,
while
ative
fish
ca
each
sectio s
of
ive s
they
had
bee
u able
to
access
fo
ge e atio s
withi
weeks.
Lowe
Citico
Dam
emoval,
Citico
C eek,
Te essee
Resto i g
wildlife
habitat
Some
of
the
p ojects
completed
i
2025
show
how
emovi g
a
si gle
st uctu e
ca
eco ect
la ge
pa ts
of
a
ive
system.
I
Iowa,
the
Fo est
City
Dam
was
emoved
f om
the
Wi ebago
Rive .
The
p oject
eco ected
99
upst eam
miles
fo
fish
passage
a d
ope ed
wetla d
spaw i g
habitat
fo
o the
pike.
It
also
educed
flood
isk
to
a
local
pa k.I
Delawa e,
the
histo ic
DuPo t
Expe ime tal
Statio
Dam
o
the
B a dywi e
Rive
was
emoved
as
pa t
of
a
wide
effo t
i volvi g
multiple
dams.
A
p evious
dam
emoval
upst eam
i
2019
had
al eady
helped
cha ge
the
ive .
Afte
that
p oject,
Ame ica
shad
we e
see
spaw i g
i
the
B a dywi e
i
Wilmi gto
fo
the
fi st
time
i
mo e
tha
100
yea s.The
etu
of
the
fish
showed
how
ive
esto atio
ca
affect
species
that
had
bee
u able
to
each
pa ts
of
thei
fo me
habitat
fo
ge e atio s.I
Vi gi ia,
the
Geo ges
Mill
Dam
was
emoved
f om
the
South
Mayo
Rive .
Seve
people
had
d ow ed
at
the
site
ove
the
yea s.
Removi g
the
dam
imp oved
passage
fo
the
e da ge ed
o a gefi
madtom
a d
also
emoved
a
site
that
had
become
a
se ious
safety
haza d.A othe
majo
p oject
took
place
i
Mai e.
The
emoval
of
Mill
Po d
Dam
o
the
Sabattus
Rive
was
pa t
of
a
wide
effo t
to
ope
access
to
2,429
ac es
of
spaw i g
habitat
a d
75
miles
of
st eam
fo
sea- u
fish.The
a ea
could
suppo t
a
a ual
u
of
mo e
tha
o e
millio
adult
alewives.
The
fish
a e
a
impo ta t
food
sou ce
fo
wildlife,
i cludi g
eagles
a d
whales.
Cultu al
impo ta ce
Dam
emoval
p ojects
a e
also
co ected
to
the
cultu al
p actices
of
I dige ous
commu ities
i
some
places.
I
Califo ia,
the
Je y
C eek
Dive sio
Dam
ea
the
Klamath
Rive
was
emoved
by
T out
U limited
a d
the
state
Depa tme t
of
Fish
a d
Wildlife.
The
Yu ok
T ibe
a d
Shasta
I dia
Natio
also
took
pa t
i
the
clea up
a d
cultu al
mo ito i g.A
simila
esto atio
effo t
took
place
i
Utah’s
Zio
Natio al
Pa k,
whe e
the
Temple
of
Si awava
Dam
was
emoved.
The
p oject
was
pa t
of
a
effo t
to
esto e
the
Vi gi
Rive ,
which
is
a
Wild
a d
Sce ic
Rive .Ame ica
Rive s
said
the
2025
p ojects
also
showed
the
ole
of
local
commu ities,
gove me t
age cies,
co se vatio
g oups
a d
T ibal
Natio s
i
esto i g
ive s.
It
ow
wa ts
to
build
o
the
p og ess
made
i
2025
a d
its
ta get
is
to
emove
30,000
dams
by
2050.
