Undamming America

Dams were erected for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power. They succeeded. They are not, however, eternal. They are massive, but they deal with massive forces and influences. Concrete degrades. Equipment becomes antiquated. Silt builds up, eventually filling the reservoirs. They also aren’t as necessary as before.

About half of the nation’s roughly 85,000 known dams no longer serve their intended purposes

The removal of a few dams has raised debates; especially, when it is a trade-off between ecology versus economy. But, there are about 40,000 dams that can be removed, evidently. A dam is a piece of infrastructure, something man-made that isn’t inherently good or bad. For decades, their construction was heavily subsidized. Now, we’re realizing that dams aren’t always the answer, and undamming many dams may be the right idea. So far, dam removals have shown to be net positive.

(Click on the photo for the link.)

“Dam Removals” – Nature