Dam removal, a concept considered bizarre a decade or so ago, has become common. Tens of thousands of dams no longer serve any purpose,or have costs that outweigh their benefits. As small, and then large, dams have been removed so have many of the concerns. Even in one of the most dramatic removals, the explosive Glines Canyon dam, the fish return sooner than expected. Dams hold back water, but they also hold back silt which fills their reservoirs, and block fish that can’t negotiate fish ladders. Dams, or at least their effectiveness, were not eternal – even though they looked like they should be. The natural flow returns, allowing us to erase at least some of our mistakes.
(Click on the photo for the link.)
“Dam Removals” – Nature
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