When the federal government recently withdrew from a historic partnership known as the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, we knew it was time to take to the river once again to chart our path forward. We helped the Nez Perce Tribe lead a team of 17 Tribal representatives and multiple state legislators, congressional staff, and non-profit partners on a five-day Snake River trip through Hells Canyon, on the border of Oregon and Idaho. During this impactful trip, the group discussed current challenges and the historical context that brought us to this point, and brainstormed solutions for our region’s future. 

Convening in Idaho: Day 1 

After everyone arrived in Lewiston, we met up with EcoFlight to get an aerial view of the river and the surrounding landscape. We flew over the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers, through golden dryland wheat fields as far as the eye can see, and over Lower Granite Dam, where we spotted a lone wood products barge waiting at the lock for passage downriver. 

Our group then joined the festivities at Hells Gate State Park, where groups were preparing food, art, and music for a “Free the Snake” flotilla the following day.  

Not long after arrival, we all went to bed to get ready for our early flight to meet our river guides in Halfway, Oregon, for our descent through the deepest gorge in North America. 

On the river: Day 2 

After a safety talk the next morning, our giddy group began our four-day, three-night journey downstream. With the launch dock still in sight, we landed a rainbow trout on the first cast – clearly a good omen for the trip to come.  

Our first lunch stop offered a warm welcome to Nimiipuu country from our gracious Nez Perce hosts, where we were grounded in creation stories and the importance of salmon, who represent the “first treaty” of a sacred promise between the animals and the Creator to care for the Nimiipuu people.  

We took turns sharing who we were, where we came from, and our intentions for this experience.  

After an easy day on the water in bright blue paddle rafts and sporty inflatable kayaks, we spotted a round black bear on the hillside, right above our camp. While our guides prepared dinner, a lively game of UNO sent laughter into the canyon, and the first of several sturgeon fishing efforts got underway.  

After a bit of fun, it was time to get to work. We had an in-depth conversation about the Columbia River Basin, which included the health of the fish that depend on it and the results of our conservation efforts. We used clothing props and home-laminated maps to aid the conversation, which continued through dinner and dessert, until the darkened canyon told us it was time to go to sleep.  

On the river: Day 3 

Day 3 started with early morning conversations about regional energy needs over camp coffee. To advocate responsibly for breaching the four hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River, we need to co-create clean energy alternatives that consider impacts to Tribes.  

Lunch was dedicated to learning about first foods and seasonal rounds. Tribal members generously shared their histories and ties to place, how important their traditional foods are to their culture and well-being, and how each Tribe and place are unique. 

After paddling through Wild Sheep and Lower Granite rapids, most of our crew beat the heat by jumping in the water to float the remaining distance to our second camp. Our group had found the river magic!  

Although this camp is technically called Oregon Hole, I will forever remember it as Sturgeon Hole. Since we were skunked the previous night, I wasn’t holding my breath that we would land a fish. A little later, while I was setting up my tent at the edge of the campground, I heard hoots and hollers and immediately knew what was happening – we got one! 

My good friend, Rein Attemann, had reeled in a six-foot sturgeon! The fish was in the water, upside down, while a Nez Perce biologist evaluated her and explained her physiology to the captive group.  

Like sharks, sturgeons are mostly made of cartilage, and flipping them upside down induces a trance-like state called “tonic immobility”. In this state, the fish becomes calm, allowing them to be handled gently before being released.  

After dinner, we heard the second sturgeon line ping and several of us raced down to the water. I was keen for this experience and had bought a fishing license in Halfway. It took me a few tries to develop a rhythm, and reeling in this fish was no easy task, but as she got closer to the boat, I could see she was beautiful, mysterious, and massive – like a living dinosaur.  

At 7.5 feet in length, she was likely at least 50 years old, making her bigger and older than me. She was probably alive before some (or all) of the four lower Snake River dams were constructed. She had a Floy tag, which meant she had been caught before. We wrote down the numbers to report to Idaho Fish and Game, turned her right side up, and released her to power downriver.  

On the river: Days 4 and 5 

Our last full day and a half on the river was filled with deeper conversations about how to develop a truly just energy transition in the Northwest, in partnership with Tribal Nations, and how to face opponents and stakeholders who resist the restoration of the Snake River and greater Columbia Basin.  

Our time was also punctuated by play and laughter – it’s important to have fun and take care of each other along the way.  

Being on the river brings out the most intense and authentic version of who people are. It allows relationships and conversations to progress at warp speed relative to what is possible in the normal course of our work. I returned home confident and knowing that this group can do hard things. We will keep up the momentum, keep supporting each other, and continue to have the hard conversations – preferably on the river!

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While much attention goes to what divides us, I think we have more in common than not. That is the lesson from the Yakima River, where government, the Yakama Nation, conservationists and agriculture have united to address urgent water and salmon scarcity in central Washington. It’s a successful model we can apply to the Columbia Basin.

In 2023, the U.S. government, the states of Washington and Oregon, and four tribal nations set aside decades of confrontation over dams, fish conservation, and treaty rights and signed the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement. It was deeply disappointing, then, when the executive memorandum came down last month, withdrawing the federal government from this historic $1 billion commitment to restore the Northwest’s primary river basin.

As a lifelong conservationist, I felt profound loss for the region I love and strive every day to protect. A healthy Columbia Basin is the linchpin of life in the Pacific Northwest. Our clean water, our farms, our energy, our salmon and the 137 known animal species they support, our intertwined local economies – all of this, and more, depend on the river.

Ending this federal investment is a setback, but it doesn’t mean threats to the Columbia and its tributaries, including dams, habitat loss, overharvesting and warm waters, have also disappeared. Where does the Pacific Northwest go from here? Giving up on the Columbia Basin is not an option. We must find another way, rooted in collaboration and shared values.

Occasional increases in salmon returning to the basin are held up as signs of hope, but sadly, they don’t tell the whole story. What matters most for long-term recovery are unique populations of healthy and abundant wild fish. The scientific reality is grim. Returning stocks of Columbia River fish are nowhere near the interim goal of 5 million by 2025, set by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council in 1987, let alone the 10 to 16 million wild fish that returned historically.

“Context is important when we’re talking about fish status and facts,” -a fisheries biologist for the Nez Perce Tribe explained at a news conference last month.

Of the 16 salmon and steelhead stocks that once spawned above where Bonneville Dam sits today, four are extinct and seven still listed under the Endangered Species Act. In the Snake River basin, spring/summer stocks of chinook salmon are nearly functionally extinct. These are signs of a continuing crisis. They should motivate all who live, work and depend on these rivers to come together on local solutions.

We know how to restore the Columbia. We have a blueprint based on decades of relationships, knowledge and expertise that addresses thoughtful actions for recovering salmon. At the same time, we must ensure tribes, communities and the farmers who support a multibillion-dollar agricultural industry thrive. Washington state agencies must complete their studies into how services provided by the four dams on the lower Snake River can continue when the dams are breached. The state Legislature directed agencies to plan for service continuity in four areas:

1. Transportation alternatives to wheat barging along the lower Snake
2. Water from a free-flowing river for farms and municipalities
3. River recreation
4. Clean energy projects in lieu of hydropower. So far, these studies show great promise

The reservoir behind Ice Harbor Dam irrigates up to 55,000 acres of farmland, and Lewiston and Clarkston use the reservoir behind Lower Granite Dam for municipal water. A plan by the Department of Ecology shows there will be more than enough water in a free-flowing lower Snake River to cover these needs. Likewise, the Department of Transportation’s initial work on rail and road options for moving wheat from Eastern Washington, Idaho and Oregon looks viable.

Boaters, hikers, fishers, jetboaters, whitewater rafters and the cruise industry provided input to the Recreation and Conservation Office about the benefits and tradeoffs of restoring a free-flowing river. The state’s energy study will be completed in 2026. Given that the four dams on the lower Snake generate just 4% of the region’s total electricity, there is every reason to feel positive about alternatives here, too.

We have work to do in the Columbia. Fortunately, the tribal leadership and the state, community and environmental groundswell remain. It’s up to us to stay connected on a vision for healthy rivers, a strong economy, and vibrant communities. Instead of maintaining status quo in a world that can no longer sustain it, we can reimagine and work toward a thriving region for everyone – now, and for future generations.

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Another river wave I grew up surfing is just twenty minutes away from my house on the Potomac River. Like the wave in Richmond, it is only surfable at higher water levels. Another thing these waves have in common? They are both created by low head dams.  

Low head dams are shorter structures where water continuously flows over the crest of the dam. At most water levels, this creates a washing machine-like hydraulic at the base of the dam that can trap and kill swimmers, paddlers, and rescuers. Although I went out on the river when I knew the water was high enough to wash out this hydraulic, my time with American Rivers this summer has opened my eyes to the harsh reality of low head dams.  

My lifelong love for paddling inspired me to begin my internship with American Rivers. Immediately, I dove into the world of low head dam safety and regulations following the fatality of a park ranger at a low head dam in Pennsylvania. Low head dams were originally built for local needs such as water supply, powering mills, or irrigation, but many of these dams no longer serve a public purpose. Because most are less than fifteen feet tall, many states do not regulate them, exempting them from inspections and safety requirements.  

The dams are deceiving to the eye; when looking downstream at a low head dam, their flat horizon lines often blend in with the river, making them almost invisible to see and very easy to miss. I soon realized that the occasional faded sign stating “Keep out, low head dam” fails to prevent the more than 1,400 fatalities that have occurred at these “drowning machines,” and approximately 50 additional fatalities occur each year. I learned that more than 20 people have passed away at Z Dam, and over 15 at Brookmont Dam, the two dams that I have learned to surf at during high water. I also discovered that low head dams are underregulated nationally, increasing the imminent threat to public safety in communities. Not only are they a threat to safety, but in a world facing the climate crisis, they disrupt aquatic ecosystems, fish passage, and river flow. Low head dams are a hazard to the public, boaters, and the environment alike. 

As an experienced whitewater kayaker, I have gained a deep knowledge of river hydraulics and appreciation for river safety. This transfers to informed paddling at certain features. Clashing emotions occur; enjoying a surf session, but at a man-made dam that has taken numerous lives. How can one reconcile with a non-natural, persistent threat to public safety while relishing in a perfect surf on a rare river wave?  

Greater public awareness of low head dam hazards is the first step in facing this dilemma. Understanding how low head dams are unsafe and supporting stricter regulation and removal can begin to change this life-threatening problem. During my internship, I identified which states have safety regulations or educational materials on low head dams, such as Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. I worked with a team to advocate for increased safety and community awareness at these dams and a smoother path to removing low head dams that are no longer necessary. 

As a kayaker, I feel a strong responsibility to advocate for the protection of rivers and nearby communities. Using our unique knowledge of rivers, we can work to inform communities of the dangers of these dams. Even though there are some boaters who feel connected to a certain infrequent surf spot, or a swimming hole below a low head dam, free-flowing rivers are better for everyone: public safety, ecosystems, and recreation.  

Think hard about your local lowhead dam or check the National Inventory of Low Head Dams if you do not know if there is one near you. Picture what this low, river-wide structure looks like, and the sound of the water flowing down its subtle yet consequential drop. Now think about the same spot if the impoundment were not there. Think about the possibility of more fish, more recreation, and increased safety. Imagine the river in its natural state, the river flowing freely, no deadly barrier in its way.  

This is an attainable future if we continue to fight for it.  

As for epic surf waves, there are plenty of natural waves on rivers across the country and abroad. My mom and I continue to find them and surf them. It is always more fun to get out on free-flowing rivers together.  

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I’m driving from Northern Virginia. No space. Brake lights. Honk honk.  

This winter I got to drive out to the Eastern Shore many times to track the evolution of a river coming back to life. Water flowing. Sun shining. Freedom. YES.  

Most days I sit at my desk. My dog asks what we’re working on today. I tell him we’re saving rivers. Making people safer. Making communities more resilient. He says that looks like a lot of documents and Brady Bunch (he’s old school). He’s right.

But this winter, oh boy! Out to the mythical “field”! This is what we’re working for. Transformation. Rejuvenation. Living. Breathing.  

The day I went out after the river was finally reconnected, I felt like an idiot walking by myself with a big stupid grin, bopping along with my muddy, happy feet. We did it! Years of work lead up to this moment. This future.

I couldn’t help but think back through the hurdles to get to this moment.  

This project didn’t start with me; it started with Serena McClain, who is now the leader of our National Dam Removal Program, but who at that time was in the trenches. We were working on wrapping up the Bloede Dam removal project, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources had another dam in another state park that they were thinking about removing— Cypress Branch Dam in Cypress Branch State Park in Millington. 

While this is a newer state park, the dam was old and busted. You had to wander around in the woods to find it. It was a relic in the milling history of the Eastern Shore. No one really knows who built it and when. More recently, it had become breached, but was still keeping fish from migrating upstream to spawn and disrupting normal river functions. Hence, the motivation to look into removing it. It checked all the boxes: 

• Not serving a useful purpose ✅
• Public safety hazard ✅
• Impacting fish passage and river function ✅
• Falling apart ✅

Serena got things started in 2019 with the Maryland Geological Survey who did some investigations on sediment. If you follow rivers in the Chesapeake region at all, you KNOW sediment is a big topic of conversation. Where’s the sediment coming from? Where is it going? What do we do about it? And on and on until I’m buried six feet under.  

I digress. Fortunately, the sediment experts determined that there was no contaminated sediment at this site, and the volumes were fairly low because the dam had been breached for some time already. So, not a big concern, which was great.  

Fortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was an early supporter and funder of the project. They saw the potential to reconnect more than 35 miles of habitat for herring, hickory shad, and other species, and they dove right in with us. 

Next, an engineering firm, Princeton Hydro, was hired to pull together design drawings. They got rolling along… and then the pandemic hit. What day is it again? Ugh.  

Things start to move again… then we had some design disagreements. I love having good partners and working with good contractors. Everyone is invested in making the project the best it can be, with the most positive impact for the system. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone always agrees on the path to get there. So sometimes we have to wade through the process, compromise, and eventually find the path forward.  

I stepped in as Project Manager in the middle of this wallowing period. Determined to shake this thing loose and get to the finish line. We move a step forward. 

Now, I’ve talked about this in the past— one problem with projects that float around for a while is that other problems can arise as time goes on. In this case, the cost of construction work popped right up after the pandemic. I realized that we were not going to have enough funding to make it through construction. We needed some more dough.  

Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency, by way of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, agreed to help us out with a generous grant. Awesome! Back on track. 

Just need the final permits. Negotiating. Still waiting. Need to figure out historical mitigation. More negotiating. More waiting. Need an adaptive management plan. What’s that? An adaptive management plan is more or less a plan for if things do not go as expected. Who makes decisions? What triggers actions? We figured these things out. We worked with our partners and regulators to decide on a plan for follow-up post-project. We received our permits. Whew. 

In the midst of these permit negotiations, there are rumblings about a problematic railroad crossing that bypasses the park and incidentally our construction access road. Do I know anything about railroads? Really not much more than I’ve learned from Thomas the Tank Engine. So, we go back and forth about what to do with this crossing. We don’t want to damage things with our heavy equipment. Eventually, we decide that we can use mats to cross it and then work towards a plan to rehabilitate it while construction is ongoing.   

In Fall 2024, we hired an environmental construction company, Ecotone, to do the work on the ground. We hope to go to construction in December. We need to get some shop drawings (i.e., detailed plans for a specific element of the design) approved before we can do that. It is right in the middle of the holidays. Deck the halls and all that. More waiting.  

Finally, we are able to break ground in mid-January! And there was much rejoicing… until… we have a new federal administration. And federal grants are being paused. And my anxiety shoots through the roof. Will today be the day we lose our funding? Tomorrow? Court cases. Temporary reprieves. Will we make it?  

The thing about these projects is that they are akin to a massive surgery. You get to a certain point where the guts are all out, and you just can’t go back. The only way is to keep moving forward.  

Fortunately, our grants did not get paused. And we got the guts all put back, this time in the right places without a clogged artery.  

And it is beautiful. And cool! 

We installed some very neat root wad structures to stabilize the river banks. It’s like nature reaching out with its creepy fingers. We removed all the concrete from the former spillway and moved around parts of the earthen portion of the dam. We also realigned the channel which had been breaking off into different sections to make its way around the spillway. It was an odd site to photograph from the ground before the removal, so I am sharing some aerial images to help give a sense of the restoration effort. 

Did we ever figure out what to do with the railroad crossing? Oh yes, indeed. We came to an agreement right near the end of construction. Thanks to a funding supplement from Maryland Department of Natural Resources, we were able to fix that crossing right up while on our way out of the site.  

We also received a bit more funding support from RJN Foundation to round things out at the end. I am so grateful to all of our funders for their support.  

Shortly after the final plantings were completed, I revisited the site to see how things were adjusting. This osprey seemed to be enjoying itself quite thoroughly in the former impoundment! What a lunch! 

And there you have it. Another one bites the dust. Huzzah! 

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There are more than 500,000 dams scattered across our rivers and streams, many of which are in a state of advanced disrepair. The good news? These tragedies can be avoided with proper funding for repair and maintenance. To make that happen, we must prioritize restoring funding to FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program and to state dam safety offices. 

In many cases, the most cost-effective way to ensure public safety is to remove dams, many of which no longer serve their intended purpose anyway. Removing outdated, hazardous dams protects our communities from preventable disasters. The good news is that communities across the country are doing just that! To show the positive progress being made across the country, we have curated a list of upcoming dam removal projects to show how these removals are possible in communities across the country. 

1. Lockville Dam | Deep Creek, North Carolina 

Why you should care: The Lockville Dam removal project has been designed to improve public safety and long-term sustainability for the surrounding community. The dam is in poor condition, and a backup of fallen logs and debris has accumulated behind the dam. American Rivers aims to reconnect 56.5 miles of the Deep River and its tributaries through the removal of the dam. The project is a restoration priority for the endemic and federally endangered Cape Fear Shiner. Several freshwater mussel species, including the Federally threatened Atlantic pigtoe, are known to be in the Deep River. The removal of Lockville dam, which was originally damaged during Hurricane Florence in 2018, is a critical step in a wider transformational watershed restoration project which is aimed at restoring fish passage for migratory fish species. 

2. Bridge and East Elm Street Dams | Royal River, Maine

Why you should care: American Rivers is working in partnership with state, municipal, and local conservation organizations to restore migratory fish runs in the Royal River watershed. The Royal River is a 140-square-mile watershed that drains directly to the Gulf of Maine. These two mainstem dams, which are the first barriers on the Royal River, have been blocking fish passage since their construction in the 19th century and together block access to over 100 miles of mainstem and tributary habitat for river herring and other fish species. Both dams are small, coming in at 10’ and 12’ in height, respectively, and are in poor condition.   

3. Allegheny Side Channel Dam | Allegheny River, Pennsylvania 

Why you should care: Removal of the Allegheny Side Channel Dam is part of a broader project that includes the removal of 10 dams throughout the Ohio and Susquehanna River watersheds, resulting in reconnecting 285 river miles and roughly 28 acres of wetlands and floodplain habitat. As its name indicates, the Alleghany Side Channel Dam blocks a side channel of the Allegheny River near the Allegheny National Forest, which provides important nursery habitat for small darters and shiners, as well as habitat favored by endangered freshwater mussels.  

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Do you notice little changes along with big ones? Do the animals tell a story? Does the water share its secrets?

How does public funding investment help to restore rivers?

American Rivers has been working with a group of experts along the Patapsco River in Maryland for more than a decade to answer these very questions. It has been a monumental group effort to document the river’s response to dam removal in terms of changes to biology and physical structure.

The process of monitoring the Patapsco River started back in 2009 before the Union and Simkins dams were removed (2010 and 2011) and continued through the removal of Bloede Dam in 2018. Monitoring the river was required by regulators for five years following completion of each project to track any changes to the river and its aquatic communities.

The main goals of these dam removal projects were to:

• Reconnect historic migration routes for fish species moving between saltwater and freshwater
• Provide access to upstream spawning and rearing habitat for migratory and resident aquatic species
• Eliminate a documented public safety hazard and attractive nuisance

Monitoring the river allowed us to figure out if our projects goals were met and to ensure nothing crazy happened as a result of the dam removals.

We considered questions like— what will happen to the native fish if we remove these dams? Will migratory fish be able to access spawning habitat upstream? Will the tiny critters known as benthic macroinvertebrates (essentially, water bugs) experience any changes as a result of habitat alterations?

We also considered what would happen to sediment and water flow if these dams were removed. We contemplated questions like— how fast will the sediment leave the former impoundments and move downstream? Where will the sediment go and what will be left behind? Aquatic animals live in and on the sediment, and they may look for certain sediments for spawning, so these queries impact them as well.

I am happy to share that through the extensive monitoring effort, American Rivers and our partners have determined that the objectives of this dam removal project were achieved.

American Rivers has compiled our Patapsco River Restoration Project Research into one easy to access page: https://www.americanrivers.org/patapsco-river-restoration-project-research/. This page illustrates the depth and breadth of the vast amount of knowledge that was gained from this publicly funded effort. We plan to continue updating the site as more data and articles are published.

Key Takeaways

Biological Monitoring

• Some species of migrating fish, including alewife and blueback herring, are making their way above the former Bloede Dam and spawning. MBSS even noted that nine species known previously to only be observed downstream of the Bloede Dam were observed upstream.
• Egg/larvae sampling results further verified that blueback herring actively spawned in the restored reach above Bloede Dam in 2024.
• Both alewife and blueback herring environmental DNA (eDNA— these are little bits of genetic material that living things leave behind in the water) was detected at sites upstream of Bloede Dam after the dam’s removal, but not before.
• American eel spread out once the Bloede Dam was removed and were climbing the eel ladder at Daniels Dam in droves.
• Benthic macroinvertebrates and resident fish seemed to recover fairly quickly after the completion of the project.

Physical Monitoring

• The physical (or geomorphic) changes to the river followed what was predicted by researchers based on site-specific modeling and monitoring results at other dam removal sites.
• The vast majority of sediment within the Bloede Dam impoundment evacuated within the first year post-removal.
• The sediment was observed moving downstream relatively quickly and causing no significant problems downstream. The river came to resemble a more natural system once again.

If you would like to dig a bit deeper into the findings of the monitoring efforts (but maybe don’t have time to read the full reports), check out this page.

What Happens Now

It’s important, especially in cases of such a significant investment of effort and public funds, to share these results with the broader community of researchers, practitioners, and regulators. Consequently, American Rivers and our partners have been presenting on this project at conferences and other events. We will be sharing a series of conversations on this project with our National Dam Removal Community of Practice in June. You can register here.

Our partners at MBSS are working on a collection of articles for publication exploring the response of different species to the removal of the dams. Our partners at USGS are working on their second publication highlighting the sediment response to the Bloede Dam removal. A series of other publications have already been produced and can be found here. As more publications come out, we will post them to that page.

In addition, we are now talking with Maryland DNR and the broader community surrounding Patapsco Valley State Park about potentially removing the upstream Daniels Dam. Those conversations will be ongoing this year as we work through a feasibility study and community engagement process. We offer an abundance of gratitude to our funders at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for supporting this long-term monitoring project. Public investment in river restoration is critical to ensuring that healthy rivers are supported for the benefit of all.

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Did you know that American Rivers has three staff currently managing and providing technical assistance on dam removal projects in the Mid-Atlantic? Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy is our resident dam buster, having been involved in more than 100 dam removals! Lisa works mostly in western Pennsylvania and the Ohio River Basin.

Jessie Thomas-Blate (that’s me!) works in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and recently dabbles in New Jersey. Jessie also co-leads the Virginia Stream Barrier Removal Task Force, which is a community of practice focused on increasing collaboration amongst professionals working on various aspects of dam removal and road stream crossing projects. We have a similar community of practice in Pennsylvania that Lisa and Jessie help co-lead called the Pennsylvania Aquatic Connectivity Team. In fact, many states have these collaborative groups working to advance river restoration in a more coordinated way.

Newer to our team is Corinne Griffith-Butler who is supporting projects in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Corinne will be helping a lot with outreach in Maryland and helping to knock down the queue of waiting projects in Pennsylvania.

Here is the breakdown of dam removals in Mid-Atlantic states:

• Maryland: 1
• New Jersey: 2
• Ohio: 2
• Pennsylvania: 27
• Virginia: 7

Virginia

On Rock Island Creek (a James River tributary) the six-foot high Baber Mill Dam was removed after nearly 200 years. This was an important project to support the proliferation of the endangered James spinymussel by reconnecting 45 upstream river miles of habitat. Many freshwater mussels rely on species such as American eel and sea lamprey to move around in river systems. The forestry management company Weyerhaeuser worked with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to help restore this river.

Just slightly farther north, the long-awaited Ashland Mill Dam (13 feet high) was removed on the South Anna River in Ashland, Virginia. Davey Mitigation, a private ecological restoration firm, completed this high priority project in pursuit of mitigation credits; credits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality that are sold to developers to offset environmental impacts of future projects in the York River watershed. This is the first time a dam removal project of this type has been implemented in Virginia using this business model, which offers a way to protect the environment at no cost to taxpayers. The dam’s removal will give access to at least seven species of fish, including American shad, that are currently blocked from accessing hundreds of miles of historical spawning and rearing habitat above the dam.

Ohio

The tallest dam removed in the Mid-Atlantic in 2024 was Timber Lake Liberty Dam (34 feet tall) on a tributary to the Olentangy River in Delaware County, Ohio.

The Warren Water Works Summit Street Dam (10 feet high) was removed as part of a large, regional effort to remove low head dams and restore water quality and habitat within the Mahoning River. Additional dam removal projects are in various stages of planning for removal upstream and downstream of the Summit Street Dam, which altogether will result in nearly 35 miles of free-flowing Mahoning River. As more of these dams and their accompanying sediments are removed, the recruitment and recovery potential of the Mahoning will improve greatly.

Pennsylvania

Wildlands Conservancy led efforts in Pennsylvania with eight dam removals in 2024. They removed six dams from the Archibald Johnston Conservation Area along the Monocacy Creek (all 4 to 8 feet tall). They also worked with the City of Easton and local agencies and partners to remove the City of Easton Lower Dam (aka Recycling Center Dam) (10 feet tall). That project was part of a larger aquatic connectivity effort to remove the first several dams along the Bushkill Creek to restore free flowing conditions to the Delaware River and Atlantic Ocean. They also partnered with PA Game Commission and PA Fish & Boat Commission to restore native brook trout habitat through the removal of a dam along SGL 129 on Dilldown Creek in Tunkhannock Township (Monroe County) (6 feet high).

New Jersey

On the eastern side of the Delaware River Basin, The Nature Conservancy removed two dams. The Paulina Lake Dam (13 feet high) removal was the final step in a four-dam removal watershed-wide restoration. The removal of all four dams on the Paulins Kill River (Columbia Remnant Dam (2018), Columbia Lake Dam (2019), County Line Dam (2021), and Paulina Dam (2024)) reconnected a total of 45 miles of mainstem and tributaries for migratory fish species including American shad, American eel, and sea lamprey. Partners (so important!) on that project included Blairstown Township, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, the removal of the Cedar Grove Dam (8 feet high) from the Pequest River will amplify the impact that the removal of the three most downstream dams (in progress) will have on restoring aquatic connectivity and improving water quality for the benefit of fish and wildlife in the Delaware River Basin.

Collectively, the Mid-Atlantic dam removal projects from 2024 completed by American Rivers, our partners, and others reconnected more than 470 upstream river miles for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and local communities. A significant amount of time, effort, and resources went into these projects that will have innumerable benefits. This goes to show that the dams do not need to be tall to make major differences for rivers. Each dam removal plays a role.

You play a role too. We need you to reach out to your legislators and tell them that funding for river restoration and clean water are important to you! Tell them that you want our country to invest in healthy rivers for future generations.

What dams should we remove in the Mid-Atlantic in the coming years? Are there opportunities in your neighborhood? If you think there is a willing landowner, let us know about it.

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This year we saw excellent work happening across 27 states. More than 2,528 miles of river were reconnected across the country. This is fantastic news for our local communities, who benefit from safer places to recreate without the looming threat of a dam failure.

Those numbers include 400 miles of river reconnected in the biggest collective dam removal project in the country on California’s Klamath River. The Copco 1 Dam, Copco 2 Dam, Iron Gate Dam, and John C. Boyle Dam are no more, thanks to the tireless efforts of tribes and partners on the ground.

California is not the only state with multi-dam removal efforts happening along a particular river. In Pennsylvania, two six-dam removal projects happened in 2024 — this has helped keep Pennsylvania as the leader in dam removal, with 27 dams removed last year! Other states knocking them down in 2024 included Michigan (10 removals), Minnesota (7), and Virginia (7).

Examples include:

• The Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, removed the first of a series of nine planned dam removals on the Fox River, starting with Carpentersville Dam in 2024.
• The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey removed Paulina Dam on the Paulins Kill River—the final piece of a four-dam removal puzzle to reconnect 45 miles of river for migratory fish, including American shad, American eel, and sea lamprey.
• Wildlands Conservancy continues to bust barriers on Bushkill Creek in Pennsylvania by removing the City of Easton Lower Dam in 2024.
• Green River Lock and Dam No. 5 was removed by The Nature Conservancy in Kentucky, building upon the previous removal of Dam No. 6 in 2017.
• The Warren Water Works Summit Street Dam was removed from Ohio’s Mahoning River as part of a large, regional effort to remove low head dams and restore water quality and habitat.

The list goes on. Focusing on reconnecting rivers through a series of removals maximizes the impact of a single project, providing even greater benefits for community safety and river health.

Here comes the challenge: these projects have major benefits—from fish passage to removing stagnant dead zones to making rivers safer for paddlers and swimmers and more— but they come at a financial cost. Removing 108 dams in 2024 cost tens of millions of dollars. Some dams can be removed for tens of thousands of dollars, but most cost between $250,000 to $500,000. Most individual dam owners cannot shoulder that cost on their own, hey need help from the broader community. In many cases this means removing dams that were built a century or more ago. Three of the dams removed in 2024 were built in the 1700s! These structures were never intended to last forever, but it takes all of us coming together to build a healthier future for our rivers and communities.

We need your help. We need you to reach out to your legislators and tell them that funding for river restoration and clean water are important to you! Tell them that you want our country to invest in healthy rivers for future generations. As we say, Life Depends on Rivers. We need you to lend your voice so that elected officials know that people value healthy rivers. If we do not prioritize removing dams in a controlled way, they will remove themselves and it will not be fun for anyone. If you’re wondering if there are any dams near you, check out the National Aquatic Barrier Inventory and Prioritization Tool. Then take action to support removing dams in your community!

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about some of the great projects completed in 2024, check out our annual summary!

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Right now, the stakes couldn’t be higher — fires are growing increasingly severe, dangerous floods are threatening communities, drought is putting water, food supplies and our livelihoods at risk, and fish and wildlife are being pushed closer to extinction as their streams dry up.  

Rivers give us so much; they support the web of life from providing our drinking water to watering our crops and so much in between. In an era of climate change, communities with clean, healthy, free-flowing rivers will be the ones that thrive. We must ensure that all communities, not just a privileged few, benefit from healthy rivers now and in the decades to come. 

To address some frequently asked questions about extreme weather and how it affects our nation’s rivers and your clean water, we put together some important information to know: 

How can healthy rivers help prevent catastrophic fire damage? 

Protecting and restoring rivers and their watersheds, including forests and headwater meadows, can both decrease the risk of catastrophic fire, and help ensure clean, reliable water supplies. 

• In a healthy watershed, rain can soak into the ground and replenish groundwater supplies. 

• We can manage fuels (excess vegetation) in a way that is sensitive to river health and fragile ecosystems.  

• Fuels management over less than 10% of a watershed can have a significant impact on water supply while simultaneously reducing wildfire risk. 

How does protecting a river ensure clean, safe, reliable water? 

Most of our drinking water comes from rivers. Healthy rivers and watersheds work as a natural filtration system, cleaning and storing water for nearby communities. 

• Pollution and habitat destruction through harmful logging, mining, agriculture or other irresponsible development contaminates water supplies with sediment and toxins. This can increase water treatment costs (and the cost of your water bill) and in extreme cases, impact public health.  

• Smart stewardship of public lands is critical to safeguarding clean, reliable water supplies. Forest Service lands are the largest source of municipal water supply in the nation, serving over 60 million people in 3,400 communities in 33 States. Major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, and Atlanta rely on water from Forest Service lands. 

How can restoring and reconnecting a floodplain protect homes and businesses? 

Floodplains (the low-lying areas along a river) are an integral part of healthy rivers, and the first line of defense when it comes to safeguarding a community from flood damage.  

• When the water level rises in a flood, that water needs somewhere to go. This is why a river needs room to move across its floodplain. It’s also why we should build smart, and keep homes and businesses out of harm’s way. 

• A floodplain can act as a sponge: when a flooding river can move into its floodplain, the water can slow down, get absorbed into the ground, and prevent damage to homes and businesses.  

• Paving over floodplains and walling off the river with levees can make flood damage worse in downstream communities. 

How helpful are dams? 

While dams can provide water storage and hydropower, they can also take a significant toll on a river’s health. Many dams are useful, but some are destructive. We must evaluate dams on an individual basis and weigh their costs and benefits when determining how to manage them, and whether to keep them in place or remove them. 

• When it comes to preparing for increasing floods, drought, and fires, different communities will have different needs. There is no “one size fits all” solution. Many communities depend on a balance of traditional infrastructure (such as dams) and natural approaches (such as river restoration). Protecting and restoring free-flowing rivers is always a smart strategy.  

• Building a dam doesn’t create “new” water, it simply stores the water that’s available. As drought shrinks reservoirs across the country, we need to increase water conservation and watershed protection to help secure our water supplies. 

• There are already hundreds of thousands of dams across our country. We must optimize the operations of existing dams, and remove the ones that no longer make sense. 

• Reservoirs also lose a significant amount of water each year through evaporation – in some regions up to 15% of the water is lost each year to evaporation. 

How can removing a dam improve public safety? 

Outdated, unsafe dams can fail, with devastating consequences to downstream communities. Dams can also harm water quality, and can be drowning hazards. 

• Flood protection: Floodwaters can overwhelm aging dams and cause them to fail, taking lives and destroying property as has recently happened. Many dams have exceeded their design life and require costly maintenance or upgrades to remain safe. Taking down an unsafe dam eliminates the risk of catastrophic failure and can improve flood protection. 

• Clean water: Dams can encourage the growth of toxic algae, by slowing and warming the water. Toxic algae harms water quality and can be lethal to wildlife and pets. Dam removal can restore a river’s flow and water quality, and help eliminate this public health risk without removing the potential of the river as a drinking water source for local communities. 

• Drowning risk: Low-head dams can create a recirculating hydraulic at the base of the dam. These hydraulics can trap and drown and drown swimmers, boaters, and anglers who get too close. There have been more than 1,400 fatalities at low-head dams across the U.S. 

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If you find the images heartbreaking, you are not alone. If you don’t already understand why this tragedy is happening, you should know that the Southern Resident orcas are very hungry and malnourished. Their numbers have dwindled to just 72 individuals, down from 88 in 2005 when they were listed under the Endangered Species Act. Two other calves and two adults from their pods perished in 2024 alone.

Four dams along the lower Snake River in Eastern Washington have blocked the passage of the wild Chinook salmon the Southern Residents rely upon for food for decades. Historically, the Snake was the largest salmon-producing tributary in the entire Columbia River basin. In addition to affecting predators like the orca, the loss of salmon species has devastated the region’s Tribal Nations, whose members depend on healthy salmon runs for their own sustenance, culture, and survival.  

There are 14 dams on the mainstem Columbia River, and more than 60 dams on rivers across the Columbia basin, but the four lower Snake dams have had an outsized impact on salmon runs. Many scientific studies conclude that breaching these four dams is the best and most expedient way to address the river’s salmon scarcity. American Rivers, in collaboration with many partners, strongly advocate for removal of the dams to restore a free-flowing lower Snake River, while investing in infrastructure to maintain or enhance the region’s hydropower, transportation, and irrigation needs. This is part of an effort to restore the entire Columbia River Basin through an initiative led by the Warm Spring Tribes, Yakama Nation, Umatilla Tribes, and Nez Perce Tribe, as well as the states of Washington and Oregon.  

“We know breaching the dams is central to healing the Snake River, and we are determined to keep momentum towards that end,” said Sarah Dyrdahl, northwest regional director for American Rivers. “Additionally, we are actively supporting and leading on many other projects that are critical to the health of the whole Columbia Basin, which the Snake River, of course, flows into.” 

Those projects include millions of dollars of investment in fish recovery, floodplain restoration, irrigation efficiencies, and the removal of other barriers affecting the natural flow of the Columbia River and its major tributaries, notably the Snake and Yakima.  

On the lower Snake River, breaching the dams is anticipated to bring enormous benefit not only to the salmon and the Southern Resident orcas, but to the whole Pacific Northwest ecosystem, which includes more than 100 species that depend on salmon, as well as the people who live across the region. This website, Imagining a New Future for the Lower Snake River, shows what dam removal would mean for everyone, from Tribes to farmers, hunters to business owners, and provides a vision of what a restored river would look like. 

To ensure everyone benefits when we transition to a free-flowing lower Snake River, multiple studies have been underway to determine alternatives to the services the four lower Snake River dams currently provide for energy, transportation, irrigation, and recreation. Most recently, the Washington Department of Ecology and the Bureau of Reclamation released a draft water supply replacement study. American Rivers and our partners applaud the study’s key findings, including that sufficient water would exist in a free-flowing lower Snake River to meet all current agricultural, municipal, and industrial needs year-round, even under low-water scenarios. 

“This study is a milestone for the Pacific Northwest,” Kayeloni Scott, executive director of the Columbia Snake River Campaign, said in a statement. “It’s an acknowledgment of the harm caused by the lower Snake River dams to Tribes and their treaty-protected rights, while also showing how we can restore salmon, irrigate crops, and support thriving communities. The solutions outlined here prove it’s not a choice between fish and farms but rather an opportunity to have both.” 

Breaching the lower Snake dams aligns with a national and global trend in dam removal, which recognizes the environmental and economic benefits that come to all with the return to healthy, free-flowing rivers. As Tahlequah is desperately showing us, it is action we must urgently embrace in the Pacific Northwest. 

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