Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing BS => The Gravel Bar => Topic started by: Woolly Bugger on May 02, 2020, 06:57:09 AM

Title: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 02, 2020, 06:57:09 AM
They're back! Migratory fish return to Brandywine Creek after dam-removal starts


QuoteIn January, contributor Jon Hurdle reported on how a series of dams along the Brandywine that date back some 200 years were being targeted for removal or modification.
The goal is to allow shad and more to return to their ancestral spawning grounds again for the first time in two centuries. 


This week, Jon Hurdle returns to tell us there's evidence the effort is paying off.

https://www.delawarepublic.org/post/they-re-back-migratory-fish-return-brandywine-creek-after-dam-removal-starts?fbclid=IwAR1oO6hy9PoOXiySEHLInwHWGkoqFn7-WilFue1a2v8sR9jNeyejS434a2E
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: JMiller on May 06, 2020, 12:45:45 PM
You know what's interesting on this topic.
We've had it in our minds for so long, as fishermen, biologists, conservationists, that dams need to be removed to enhance biological conditions of our rivers in a number of ways.
Recently at a conference I was at in PA, I heard an interesting alternative argument proposed.

That actually, the water held behind some of these dams on rivers such as the allegheny, which would normally just flow through in undammed conditions, now serves as a cool water reserve function during the warm summer months, which has implications for helping imperiled native freshwater mussels and other species.

Drought-like, hot summer low flow conditions are a threat to these species, and some of these reservoirs help to maintain acceptable flows.

I don't propose this as a blanket argument against dam removal, just food for thought.

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on May 06, 2020, 16:19:56 PM
Quote from: JMiller on May 06, 2020, 12:45:45 PMYou know what's interesting on this topic.
We've had it in our minds for so long, as fishermen, biologists, conservationists, that dams need to be removed to enhance biological conditions of our rivers in a number of ways.
Recently at a conference I was at in PA, I heard an interesting alternative argument proposed.

That actually, the water held behind some of these dams on rivers such as the allegheny, which would normally just flow through in undammed conditions, now serves as a cool water reserve function during the warm summer months, which has implications for helping imperiled native freshwater mussels and other species.

Drought-like, hot summer low flow conditions are a threat to these species, and some of these reservoirs help to maintain acceptable flows.

I don't propose this as a blanket argument against dam removal, just food for thought.



Logic and facts should matter in any decision process.  I generally dislike dams, but hydroelectric power is such a critical part of our power supply, particularly during peak demand, therefore I do not oppose them unless said dam has causes catastrophic hardship to a valuable species of fish.

Old mill dams can also stop the migration invasive species such as Alabama, Kentucky Spotted bass in rivers such as the Deep in NC, or Flatheads in other watersheds.

That all being said, to hell with dams.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 11, 2020, 09:41:58 AM
>>>For the first time in more than 55 years, rafters and boaters can float the Arkansas River from Leadville to Cañon City without disruption.

Colorado Springs Utilities and Aurora Water have finished replacing a deteriorating dam built in the 60s with a boat chute, a new water intake and a fish ladder which will allow trout to spawn upstream. The Homestake Arkansas River Diversion project reconnected the river between Granite and Buena Vista.

https://www.cpr.org/2020/07/10/with-an-old-crumbling-dam-out-of-the-way-the-arkansas-river-is-now-fully-open-to-boats-and-trout/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 13, 2020, 11:46:19 AM
Glen Canyon day; is the dam a tombstone or a giver of new life?

>>>To some, it's a tombstone. To others, it has been a giver of new life.

There are few events or issues in the annals of U.S. environmental history that have been as controversial as the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, what the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation considers a crown jewel and a monument to its success at harnessing the waters of the mighty Colorado River.

To those who opposed the dam, Glen Canyon's history reads like an obituary about the loss of an incomparable sandstone and water wonderland boasting a plethora of Native American ruins, emerald hanging gardens and a few spectacular natural bridges – a place to truly commune with nature and to find complete solitude since few made the effort to traverse the river along the canyon's stretch.

Those on the other side of the issue feel the dam has improved Glen Canyon – now providing greater access to its breathtaking contrast of towering crimson sandstone walls and vast expanses of crystal blue water.



https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2020/07/12/raw-glen-canyon-day-is-the-dam-a-tombstone-or-a-giver-of-new-life/#.XwyPQhOSlhE
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 14, 2020, 10:13:03 AM
Bellingham diversion dam being removed to help these imperiled Pacific Northwest icons




https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article244071792.html

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 16, 2020, 09:03:47 AM
A Dam Comes Down — and Tribes, Cities, Salmon and Orcas Could All Benefit
You may not have heard much about the long fight to remove the Nooksack Dam near Bellingham, Washington, but its detonation this week will prove ecologically and culturally important.

https://therevelator.org/nooksack-dam-removal/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on July 16, 2020, 10:42:42 AM
Some dams in NC need to stay intact to keep invasive Alabama and Kentucky spotted bass at bay. The Bynum dam on the Haw, and the dam on the Deep @ Moncure need not be removed. These two dams protect two excellent largemouth bass fisheries.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 16, 2020, 16:27:15 PM
Removal of Scott Dam key to Salmon and Steelhead recovery


>>>Newly installed sonar fish counting stations operated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Trout paint a dismal picture for the Eel River's native salmon and steelhead. While research indicates that at least 26,400 of these migratory fish should return to this river system every year for their populations to rebound, fewer than one-third of that number made the journey this past year.

A century ago, as many as one million salmon and steelhead returned to the Eel to reproduce annually. Today, the Eel's coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout populations are all listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. While the Eel River has the potential to support self-sustaining wild fish populations at a level that could be harvested commercially, it is clearly falling far short of that potential.

https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2020/07/15/another-voice-removal-of-scott-dam-key-to-salmon-and-steelhead-recovery/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 16, 2020, 16:28:21 PM
https://youtu.be/TIhvlPS4Uks

>>>The conclusion to decades of work to remove a dam on the Middle Fork Nooksack River east of Bellingham, Washington began with a bang yesterday as crews breached the dam with a carefully planned detonation. This explosive denouement is also a beginning.



Over the next couple of weeks, crews will fully remove the 125-foot-wide, 25-foot-tall dam, allowing the Middle Fork Nooksack to run free for the first time in 60 years. With the dam's removal, 16 miles of river and tributary habitat will open up to help boost populations of three threatened Puget Sound fish species: Chinook salmon, steelhead and bull trout

https://www.ecowatch.com/dams-washington-2646412613.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 28, 2020, 12:07:18 PM
Controversy swirls over dam plans in Northern New York

>>>PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (WCAX) - Controversy is swirling in Plattsburgh over what to do with the Imperial Mills Dam. Our Kelly O'Brien has both sides of the story.

Over the last several decades, it's been an upstream battle trying to figure out what to do with the Imperial Mills Dam on the Saranac River.

"We want to take the dam out," said Don Lee with Trout Unlimited.

Local fishermen with Trout Unlimited say the dam blocks Atlantic salmon from getting to their natural spawning grounds upriver.


https://www.wcax.com/2020/07/27/controversy-swirls-over-dam-plans-in-northern-new-york/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 29, 2020, 10:33:02 AM
Europe's migratory freshwater fish population falls by 93% in 50 years

>>>Europe's migratory freshwater fish population has decreased massively.

Since 1970, their numbers have fallen by 93 percent in Europe, the highest rate of population decline in the world, according to a new report by a coalition of environmental organizations including the World Fish Migration Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

The second highest rate is in Latin America and the Caribbean at 84 percent. Globally, the migratory freshwater fish population has fallen by 76 percent.

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-29/Europe-s-migratory-freshwater-fish-population-falls-by-93-in-50-years-SvdysUeji8/index.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on July 29, 2020, 13:19:08 PM
I wonder what migratory freshwater fishes where/are deterred by our Gathright, Philpott and South H. dams?  It is a puzzling principled question for sure.   
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 31, 2020, 20:11:23 PM
Removal Of Milltown Dam Supported In Poll
Saint John, NB, Canada / Country 94


>>>Eighty-seven per cent of people polled in the St. Stephen and surrounding communities support the removal of the Milltown Dam.

The poll was commissioned by the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and Atlantic Salmon Federation and conducted by Oraclepoll Research

Neville Crabbe, the executive director of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, said the removal was announced by NB Power last year.

"It's the oldest hydroelectric facility in Canada, it's reached the end of its life. NB Power looked at alternatives to removal including refurbishment and determined there was no case to keep that structure in place," he said.



https://www.country94.ca/2020/07/30/removal-of-milltown-dam-supported-in-poll/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 01, 2020, 10:29:23 AM


>>>The U.S. government announced Friday that four huge dams on the Snake River in Washington state will not be removed to help endangered salmon migrate to the ocean.
US: Snake River dams will not be removed to save salmon


The decision thwarts the desires of environmental groups that fought for two decades to breach the structures.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement was issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration, and sought to balance the needs of salmon and other interests.

The plan calls for spilling more water over the dams at strategic times to help fish migrate faster to and from the ocean, a tactic that has already been in use.

Environmental groups panned the Trump administration plan as inadequate to save salmon, an iconic Northwest species. They contend the dams must go if salmon are to survive.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/us-snake-river-dams-will-not-be-removed-to-save-salmon/2020/07/31/b797f4f8-d362-11ea-826b-cc394d824e35_story.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 02, 2020, 10:26:54 AM
Dam removal is a win-win for river and irrigation


>>>A dam removal project in the Rogue River watershed this summer is proving that it's possible to find solutions that benefit both salmon and farms.

The Lower Bridgepoint Dam on Williams Creek, a tributary to the Applegate River, provides water for irrigation, but restricts habitat for Chinook and coho salmon, as well as steelhead and lamprey. Now, thanks to the collaboration of the Applegate Partnership and Watershed Council and with support from the Bureau of Land Management and private landowners, the dam is coming down and the habitat will be restored.

This dam removal adds to the ongoing restoration efforts in the mighty Rogue River watershed, renowned for its world-class sport fishing. These projects help Rogue River salmon sustain recreational and commercial fishing, despite recent droughts that have devastated fish in other rivers in the state.

https://mailtribune.com/opinion/guest-opinions/dam-removal-is-a-win-win-for-river-and-irrigation
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 02, 2020, 10:28:31 AM
Nez Perce Tribe Calls for Leadership on Lower Snake River Restoration

>>>"We view restoring the lower Snake River as urgent and overdue.  To us, the lower Snake River is a living being, and, as stewards, we are compelled to speak the truth on behalf of this life force and the impacts these concrete barriers on the lower Snake have on salmon, steelhead, and lamprey, on a diverse ecosystem, on our Treaty-reserved way of life, and on our people." stated Chairman Shannon F. Wheeler.


https://lcvalley.dailyfly.com/Home/ArtMID/1352/ArticleID/56383/Nez-Perce-Tribe-Calls-for-Leadership-on-Lower-Snake-River-Restoration
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 03, 2020, 10:22:17 AM
Environmental Groups File Motion To Stop Dam Project In Little Colorado River Gorge

>>>A coalition of environmental groups Monday plan to file a motion to stop a hydropower and dam proposal in the Little Colorado River Gorge. They say it represents a grave threat to the environment, endangered species and tribal sacred sites. KNAU's Ryan Heinsius reports.

The environmental legal group Earthjustice is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject a preliminary permit application filed for the Big Canyon project. It would include four dams and four reservoirs adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park on the Navajo Nation. It's the third such proposal in the area from the Phoenix-based Pumped Hydro Storage, and would tap a local aquifer instead of damming the Little Colorado River.

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The Little Colorado River Gorge on the Navajo Nation adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park is the proposed site of three hydro-storage proposals.
Credit Ryan Heinsius / KNAU

https://www.knau.org/post/environmental-groups-file-motion-stop-dam-project-little-colorado-river-gorge



Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 06, 2020, 06:13:25 AM
Another Washington dam removal — and 37 more miles of salmon habitat restored

>>> PILCHUCK RIVER, near Granite Falls, Snohomish County — Washington's dam-busting summer is still rolling, with two more dams coming down on the Pilchuck River, opening 37 miles of habitat to salmon for the first time in more than a century.

The $2 million dam removal project is a collaboration between the City of Snohomish and Tulalip Tribes, and will benefit multiple species of salmon, including threatened chinook salmon, crucial food for endangered southern resident killer whales.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/another-washington-dam-removal-and-37-more-miles-of-salmon-habitat-restored/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 12, 2020, 10:57:41 AM
Barriers limit cutthroat trout migration

>>> Few people know rivers more intimately than anglers. Every bend, pool and overhanging trees of our favorite river stretches are stored in the recesses of our brains. Particularly those where big fish are known to hide.

From year to year, the pools we fish are usually static and don't change dramatically. We walk up to our favorite stream and, by all appearances, the water looks the same. Things we have a hard time observing happen throughout the year.



https://www.tu.org/blog/barriers-limit-migratory-cutthroat-populations/

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 19, 2020, 12:07:48 PM
A Sweeping Win for Salmon and Steelhead on the Willamette River


>>>Dams on four key tributaries of the Willamette River block between 40 to 90% of spawning habitat. The dams' heights and large reservoirs make it nearly impossible for small fish to swim downstream and for adult fish to access critical spawning habitats upstream. Dam operations create unnatural flows, impact fish habitat, water quality and water temperature which increases mortality.

The Court ruled for the Plaintiffs on all three of their ESA claims, holding that the Corps: 1) failed to carry out "several of the most important [required] measures" related to fish passage and water quality, 2) is jeopardizing and unlawfully taking Upper Willamette Chinook salmon and steelhead, and 3) the agency's significant delay in reinitiating consultation was "a substantial procedural violation of the ESA."

https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/a-sweeping-win-for-salmon-and-steelhead-on-the-willamette-river/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 02, 2020, 12:15:27 PM
Washington Dam Removal Will Give Salmon The Chance To Spawn



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https://www.kuow.org/stories/60-year-old-nooksack-dam-is-being-blasted-to-pieces-to-let-fish-swim-free


Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 02, 2020, 19:15:52 PM
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/nooksack-river-dam-finally-coming-down-freeing-miles-for-fish-habitat/


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Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 12, 2020, 10:15:45 AM
Work underway on Walton's Mill Dam removal

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The replaced metal arch will be able to withstand the 100-year storm event without impacting the road. The increased size also allows for a natural stream bottom and banks which restores fish passage, water quality, and wildlife movements. Connected streams are critical for recovery of Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and other wildlife. :cheers

Progress is being made on the removal of Walton's Mill Dam- a project that was widely approved by voters two years ago.

Heading up the project is the Atlantic Salmon Federation who is investing roughly $1.2 million to make area improvements and remove the historic dam. Built in 1820, the dam was deemed a barrier to the endangered Atlantic salmon by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2009. By law the town would have either needed to remove the dam completely or construct a passage for the fish to migrate through. The option of the "fish ladder" would not have included any assistance from federal or state funding, and was estimated to cost $750,000.

http://www.dailybulldog.com/db/features/work-underway-on-waltons-mill-dam-removal/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 16, 2020, 09:14:08 AM
https://vimeo.com/454625111

Last month, North Coast Regional Director Darren Mierau presented to an audience of 228 participants about the Potter Valley Project. Two aging dams on the upper Mainstem Eel River, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), currently impede (Cape Horn Dam) or completely block (Scott Dam) migratory access to several hundred miles of habitat for federally listed Chinook salmon and Steelhead. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the Potter Valley Project (PVP) expires in 2022. In 2019 PG&E made a paramount decision to not relicense the Project.

This webinar will describe the Feasibility Study Report and Project Plan submitted to FERC in May of 2020 by a coalition of five regional entities including CalTrout to acquire the license for the Potter Valley Project. The Project Plan includes the removal of Scott Dam, modification of Cape Horn Dam, continued power generation, and winter "run-of-the-river" water diversions. The Project plan would result in unimpeded migratory access for salmon and steelhead into the upper Eel River, along with continued diversion of Eel River water to the Russian River.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 17, 2020, 08:11:56 AM
Ward's Mill Dam on Watauga River Planned for Removal This Year


>>>
The historic dam at the Ward's Mill along Watauga River near Sugar Grove is being removed this year.

"That is the plan," said Virginia Ward, adding that the future removal will be bittersweet.

"You know it will be okay to let it go. It will open the river and I believe that will be good ... but it's a bit sad, too. We have multiple emotions. Let's put it that way."

https://wataugaonline.com/wards-mill-dam-on-watauga-river-planned-for-removal-this-year/

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 21, 2020, 08:16:41 AM
A river reconnected: Removing the Pilchuck River Diversion Dam

>>>Washington's Pilchuck River is close to once again flowing freely after more than 100 years, thanks to a NOAA-supported effort to remove an obsolete dam. Once restoration work is complete, the project will reopen 37 miles of habitat for fish and help protect downstream communities from flooding.


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>>>The Pilchuck River Dam is located roughly where the middle and upper portions of the Pilchuck River meet. The middle portion of the river, below the dam, lacks high-quality habitat and has high summer temperatures. Above the dam, in the upper portion of the river, high-quality habitat is abundant and water temperatures are cooler. Removing the Pilchuck River Dam allows fish to access more than 37 miles of this high-quality habitat.




Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 24, 2020, 11:26:28 AM
Walton's Mill dam removal, park improvements outlined in Farmington

>>>FARMINGTON — Selectmen on Tuesday evening were told design plans for improvements to Walton's Mill Park Plan should be nearly complete in about two weeks, with a final plan ready in October.

"We're moving along in our design phase, we're at 75% of the design," Maranda Nemeth, project manager for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, said.

Voters approved the $1.2 million Walton's Mill Dam project in November 2018, a year after a fish passage study was approved. The project will remove the dam so endangered Atlantic salmon can travel up Temple Stream to spawn.

Dam removal and park improvements will be done in three phases with construction starting in 2021, Nemeth said.

https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/09/22/waltons-mill-dam-removal-park-improvements-outlined-in-farmington/

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: troutrus on September 27, 2020, 11:18:02 AM
Local project underway. Article in the local fish wrapper today.

https://greensboro.com/rockingham_now/lifestyles/lindsey-bridge-dan-river-access-to-close-monday-as-dam-project-begins/article_1abc264c-f381-11ea-b027-4f3c5eaf456a.html

D3677EAB-C98D-45BA-BAE4-E8214C9F619A.jpeg
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 28, 2020, 08:45:34 AM
Removing dams on Puyallup and Snake rivers is key to salmon and orca survival

>>>Like many people throughout the Pacific Northwest, I was recently uplifted by the news that Tahlequah, the mother orca who captured the world's attention during her tour of grief in 2018, gave birth to a healthy new calf. Southern resident orcas are one of the world's most endangered wildlife populations, so every new calf is precious.

While I am cautiously optimistic, I remain concerned about the future this newborn orca and his family face as they search for increasingly scarce salmon.

Salmon are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest's ecosystems, culture and economy. Over 100 species of wildlife rely on salmon. Recreational and commercial fishing businesses support countless rural communities from the coast to the Palouse.



https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/op-ed/article245996200.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 30, 2020, 08:35:34 AM
Feds formally adopt salmon, dams plan
Strategy calls for Snake River dams to stay, more water to be spilled to help salmon runs

>>>The federal government formally adopted its salmon and dams management strategy Tuesday that relies on spilling water at Snake and Columbia river dams to speed juvenile fish to the ocean but keeps the four lower Snake River dams in place.

The Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued a Record of Decision committing the agencies to a plan centered on balancing the needs of Endangered Species Act-protected salmon and steelhead with carbon-free hydropower production and efficient barge transportation on the Columbia and lower Snake rivers.

https://lmtribune.com/northwest/feds-formally-adopt-salmon-dams-plan/article_0ec395f4-a14d-5a7b-83a5-11cf167a54f1.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on October 16, 2020, 07:35:04 AM
Africa's largest dam powers dreams of prosperity in Ethiopia — and fears of hunger in Egypt

As the reservoir fills on the Blue Nile, people in both countries are preparing for changes the dam may bring

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2020/grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-egypt-nile/?no_nav=true&tid=a_classic-iphone
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Dougfish on October 16, 2020, 11:32:16 AM
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on October 16, 2020, 07:35:04 AMAfrica's largest dam powers dreams of prosperity in Ethiopia — and fears of hunger in Egypt

As the reservoir fills on the Blue Nile, people in both countries are preparing for changes the dam may bring

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2020/grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-egypt-nile/?no_nav=true&tid=a_classic-iphone

This will not end well.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 10, 2020, 09:27:02 AM
Washington state tribes, utility consider old dam's removal

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>>>SEATTLE (AP) — Tribal leaders in northern Washington state have announced an effort to determine the feasibility and costs associated with removal of a dam that has not generated electricity since 1958.

The Enloe Dam, built 100 years ago, blocks fish from reaching the Similkameen River and is of no use to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation wanting to bring salmon back to the river, The Seattle Times reported.

"It's got to go," tribal business council Chair Rodney Cawston said, as he watched the river cascade over the 54-foot (16-meter) dam. "Our people have lived off salmon for thousands of years. This is of just huge importance to us."

https://tulsaworld.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/washington-state-tribes-utility-consider-old-dams-removal/article_27fdcab6-5587-55a4-93db-01808013a20b.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 11, 2020, 09:16:31 AM
For over a century, one of the most important salmon runs in the United States has had to contend with historic dams – and now four of them are set to be taken down.

>>>"My great uncle and my grandma and my great grandparents and, I'm sure, their great grandparents: they were all fishermen. That's just what they did – they fished and it was out of necessity to support their families. And it's because that's what we've always done and we've never known another life," says Amy Cordalis, the general counsel of the Yurok, and a member of California's largest indigenous tribe.

It's hard to overstate how important this livelihood has been to the Yurok people who have lived for millennia in rural Northern California. And yet this livelihood has been diminishing for decades after the Klamath River – which flows through the tribe's territory – was dammed for hydroelectricity. But now, after years of painstaking negotiations, the fortunes of the Yurok could be set to change, with the largest dam removal project in US history given the green light.

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Although she grew up in Ashland, Oregon, Cordalis would often visit Requa, a tiny village near the mouth of the Klamath River in northern California, to see family, attend tribal ceremonies – and to fish. Her father – "the ultimate Yurok fisherman" – had four daughters and a son, and he taught all of them to fish.


https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201110-the-largest-dam-removal-project-in-american-history
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 11, 2020, 09:28:51 AM
>>>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A coalition of environmental and fishing groups are suing a water district in southern Oregon over an aging, privately owned dam that they say hinders the passage of struggling salmon populations in the pristine North Umpqua River.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Eugene, asks a judge to order the Winchester Water Control District to build a new fish ladder and make major repairs to Winchester Dam, which dates to 1890 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The dam is one of the oldest in Oregon.

https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/Fishing-environmental-groups-sue-over-Umpqua-15717520.php
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 18, 2020, 09:15:30 AM
Klamath River deal revives plan for major dam demolition to save salmon

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>>>ORTLAND, Ore. —  An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years.

If it goes forward, the deal would revive plans to remove four massive hydroelectric dams on the lower Klamath River, emptying giant reservoirs and reopening potential fish habitat that's been blocked for more than a century. The massive project would be at the vanguard of a trend toward dam demolitions in the U.S. as the structures age and become less economically viable amid growing environmental concerns about the health of native fish.

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-11-17/apnewsbreak-deal-revives-plan-for-largest-us-dam-demolition
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 18, 2020, 09:22:17 AM
B.C. outdoor group calls for removal of U.S. dam
Defunct obstruction on Similkameen River cuts off 500 km of Canadian salmon habitat


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>>>A B.C. outdoor group is hoping some cross-border diplomacy will lead to the dismantling of a defunct dam in Washington State that's blocked salmon runs into Canada for the past century.

The Enole Dam is concrete wall, 18-metre tall, 88-metres wide, constructed around 1920 near Oroville, WA, about 11 km south of Osoyoos. Designed without fish ladders to enable fish migration, it eliminated salmon and steelhead runs from the Similkameen River and its tributaries flowing from B.C. through Manning Provincial Park and past the communities of Princeton, Hedley, Keremeos and Cawston.

https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/b-c-outdoor-group-calls-for-removal-of-u-s-dam/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 19, 2020, 09:19:41 AM
Huge dam demolition could save salmon on the edge of extinction

Spring-run Chinook salmon, critical to Indigenous fishers along the Klamath River, are in steep decline. But two recent developments may offer a path to their recovery.


https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2020/11/dam-removal-project-genetic-discovery-could-be-good-news-for-key-salmon-species/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on January 13, 2021, 09:43:08 AM
A second chance for Eel River salmon and steelhead?

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>>>For many years Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has operated the "Potter Valley Project," a hydroelectric facility on the main stem of the Eel River consisting of Scott and Cape Horn dams and a tunnel diverting water into the Russian River watershed, where it is used to generate a small amount of electricity and for irrigation by farmers in Potter Valley and farther south in Sonoma County.

The construction of Scott Dam in 1922 completely blocked passage of critically imperiled anadromous fish including salmon, steelhead and lamprey while simultaneously forming Lake Pillsbury, a 2,000-acre reservoir in remote northwestern Lake County used for boating, fishing and camping. Consisting of several hundred dwellings, primarily on Mendocino National Forest leaseholds but also including a scattering in private ownership, this community has very few permanent residents.

https://www.redbluffdailynews.com/2021/01/12/a-second-chance-for-eel-river-salmon-and-steelhead/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on January 16, 2021, 15:04:56 PM
200 Years Ago My Family Built a Dam — Now My Organization Is Tearing It Down

A river-restoration advocate looks back at her family's forgotten history to gain new insight into the history — and future — of our country's rivers.

>>>If you look at a map of a watershed, it branches like a family tree. Pennsylvania's Cacoosing Creek flows into the Tulpehocken, which flows into the Schuylkill, which flows into the Delaware, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

My Great Aunt Kathryn (we called her Kaki) lived in a house on North Church Road in Robesonia, Pennsylvania. When you walked in the front door, arriving for a family reunion or a Fourth of July picnic, you were met by a wall of family photos — my mom's cousins Hank, Mike and Andrea. Kaki and my grandmother Anita as girls.

And hanging among the photos of our own family tree was a little pen and ink drawing of a mill.


>>>Removing the dam on Cacoosing Creek will restore more than seven miles of habitat for American eel, trout, blacknose dace and white suckers. It will revitalize the health of the entire ecosystem. Nationwide more than 1,700 dams have been removed to restore rivers, and Pennsylvania leads the nation in dam removal.


https://therevelator.org/cacoosing-dam-removal/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on January 23, 2021, 09:35:06 AM
Commentary: Removing 4 Brookfield Renewable dams would revive lower Kennebec, at-risk species
The fate of Atlantic salmon in the U.S. depends on restoring them in the Kennebec. Razing these dams would give the species its best chance at survival.

>>>Colin Woodard's Jan. 3 article on Brookfield Renewable's four Kennebec River dams between Waterville and Skowhegan brings much-needed attention to stalled efforts to restore endangered Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish to Maine's second largest watershed.


A Fairfield man casts a fly into a pool in the Kennebec River below the Shawmut dam. The National Marine Fisheries Service and Maine Department of Marine Resources recommend the dam's removal.  David Leaming/Morning Sentinel, File

Today the Kennebec is a tale of two rivers. Downstream of the Lockwood Dam, the Kennebec and its tributaries teem with alewives, blueback herring, American shad and two species of sturgeon that have returned after the removal of the Edwards and Fort Halifax dams. More than 3 million river herring now return annually to the Sebasticook River to spawn, providing food that brings seals 50 miles upstream from salt water and attracts the East Coast's largest concentration of bald eagles. Anglers below the Lockwood Dam can catch shad until their arms hurt.

Upstream of Lockwood Dam, it's a different story. The fish lift at Lockwood simply doesn't work. Some anglers catch more shad in a day than the lift passes in a year. In 2019, a study found that only 45 percent of tagged salmon released below the dam entered the fish lift. Some took a month to do so. The Maine Department of Marine Resources believes restoration will require 99 percent passage within 48 hours of reaching the dam. And Lockwood is just the first of four dams salmon need to pass before they reach the exceptional spawning and rearing habitat in the Sandy River.

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/concerns-of-conflict-on-maines-coastline/97-78308102-361d-40e9-9b1e-9a6ac36e2294
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on January 31, 2021, 10:28:57 AM
A Four-Month Time Lapse of the Nooksack Dam Removal

This Swiftwater Films time lapse, produced by director Shane Anderson and filmed and edited by Jesse Andrew Clark, shows the monthslong process of deconstructing the Nooksack Dam on the Middle Fork of Washington's Nooksack River. This restoration will repair 16 miles of habitat for threatened salmon and steelhead.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2420470/nooksack-dam-removal-time-lapse
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 12, 2021, 09:49:24 AM
Idaho's Simpson calls for breaching dams

>>>Every single salmon and steelhead that spawns in Wallowa County streams must navigate the four dams on the Lower Snake River twice — once as a smolt en route to the ocean and again as an adult returning to its natal stream.

On Feb. 6, Idaho 2nd Congressional District Rep. Mike Simpson, an 11-term Republican, called for a $33.5 billion, decade-long program that would breach those dams and provide support for local economies to save Idaho — and also Wallowa County — salmon and steelhead.

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"I'm not certain that removing these dams will restore Idaho salmon and prevent their extinction," he said. "But I am certain that if we do not take this course of action, we are condemning Idaho salmon to extinction."

https://www.wallowa.com/news/local/idahos-simpson-calls-for-breaching-dams/article_d4c95a80-6a4d-11eb-afb1-4fbc18882f23.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 18, 2021, 18:57:18 PM
69 Dams Removed in 2020
Nothing restores a river like removing a dam.

>>> Despite the challenges of working through a pandemic, river restoration practitioners continued to pursue dam removal projects in 2020 to revitalize local economies and communities and reconnect 624 upstream river miles for fish, wildlife and river health. Sixty-nine dams were removed in 2020 across 23 states, including: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.


https://www.americanrivers.org/2021/02/69-dams-removed-in-2020/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 27, 2021, 12:23:15 PM
Dammed, drugged, poisoned: Shad, eels and smallmouth bass struggle to survive in Susquehanna River

>>>Three troubled species
What's changed is that civilization has caught up with the smallmouth bass.

The fish are among the species that call the river their home — along with American shad and eel — that have been most affected by human activity. The species are very different, and the challenges they face are varied, but one thing is certain: Their numbers are not what they used to be, and that is a reflection of the health of the watershed.

Shad and eel — species that migrate to spawn — are hampered by the four large hydroelectric dams on the lower section of the river, from the Conowingo near the river's mouth in the south, to Holtwood, Safe Harbor and York Haven dam, respectively, to the north. The dams, in addition to causing problems with sediment, impede the migration of the shad and eel, migration that is essential for the fish to propagate.

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https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/environment/bs-md-susquehanna-river-species-20210227-4zw6pcdsgvek7pojvv7sjm7q5u-story.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 27, 2021, 12:35:36 PM
'The stars are aligned': Rep. Mike Simpson breaks down plan to breach Snake River dams

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>>>WASHINGTON — When Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson publicly called for breaching four Lower Snake River dams on Sunday, Feb. 7, as part of his Energy & Salmon Concept, public reaction, it's fair to say, was shock. And although Simpson certainly heard the swift criticism of his plan, voices as wide-ranging as tribes, environmental groups, energy interests and farmers were quick to praise his proposal for its collaborative spirit and attempt to find compromise solutions — something not heard much out of Washington nowadays.

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https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/state/the-stars-are-aligned-rep-mike-simpson-breaks-down-plan-to-breach-snake-river-dams/article_0e86d7ae-77bc-11eb-acba-6f360fdf7743.html



Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on April 08, 2021, 08:12:14 AM
Major Fish Passage Barrier to Be Addressed on the Chehalis River


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>>>"Restoring and reconnecting access to spawning habitat is the most important action we can take to help salmon, steelhead and lamprey survive and give them a fighting chance to someday thrive once again," Quinault Indian Nation Vice President Tyson Johnston said in a press release. "The Quinault Nation appreciates the vision of Weyerhaeuser, the Lewis Conservation District, the state of Washington and all the partners involved in the investment to create a better future for salmon in the Chehalis Basin."


https://www.chronline.com/stories/major-fish-passage-barrier-to-be-addressed-on-the-chehalis-river,262413
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 21, 2021, 09:46:26 AM
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPI29eLBKAG/?utm_medium=copy_link

>>>BOONE — The Ward Mill Dam just a few miles from Boone has been removed in what the MountainTrue's Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill calls a "huge win for local aquatic wildlife."

The dam was removed on May 16 after five days of demolition.

The first dam was constructed at the location in 1890 and improved upon over the years. The mill complex served the community for generations providing electricity, jobs, firewood and building materials. The dam had also been an obstacle for local aquatic wildlife for the past 130 years, according to the Watauga Riverkeeper.

Now, native fish such as the tangerine darter and threatened salamanders like the hellbender will be reunited and benefit from a reconnected and improved cold-water aquatic habitat.

https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/local/ward-mill-dam-removal-connects-35-miles-of-aquatic-habitat-in-the-watauga-river/article_1e37712a-c6cf-525e-a98f-70394e0dcda4.html?fbclid=IwAR1ziONxCTj_rDs6SvUMggGC_tHdAzplJHgdPx1EPqlFEOsDt0X5_0BiEzE#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 28, 2021, 11:53:32 AM
Walton's Mill Dam removal project moves forward
With dam removal, the site may become one of the one places in Maine where people can view Atlantic salmon leaping upstream.

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>>>FARMINGTON — Water letdown has begun at the Walton's Mill Dam site in preparation for the dam's removal.

The dam removal is part of a larger project in partnership with the Atlantic Salmon Federation approved by voters in November 2018. In addition to the dam removal and park improvements, the project includes replacing two road-stream crossings along Clover Mill Road.

https://www.sunjournal.com/2021/05/27/waltons-mill-dam-removal-project-moves-forward/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Yallerhammer on May 29, 2021, 10:11:42 AM
I have mixed feelings on dams. In situations where major spawning runs of anadromous fish like salmon and steelhead use the rivers, I think they do a lot more harm than good. Same with rivers where dams block runs of freshwater fish such as lake sturgeon, paddlefish, pikeminnows, and such. In a lot of places in our area, though, I think a most of the reservoirs are some of the major hubs of biodiversity in the region. Reservoirs have fueled the return of the bald eagle and osprey, and serve as habitat for lots of fish, waterfowl that are having a tough time, as well as threatened plants and plant communities. Life is lush and intense around a lake, much more so than around most of the undammed stretches of river. Not to mention clean energy.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 16, 2021, 08:14:23 AM
California Regulator Advances Historic Dam Removal Project
The decision by California's public utility regulator will help move forward a plan to demolish four Klamath River dams to help restore endangered salmon populations on the California-Oregon border.

>>>The largest dam removal project in U.S. history came one step closer to fruition Thursday with a California regulator's approval of a plan to transfer ownership licenses for four Klamath River dams.

"Our decision today is another step forward to advance this historic dam removal project," said Marybel Batjer, president of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

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https://www.courthousenews.com/california-regulator-advances-historic-dam-removal-project/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 26, 2021, 07:40:56 AM
How Removing One Maine Dam 20 Years Ago Changed Everything
The removal of the Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River helped river conservationists reimagine what's possible.




>>>The removal of Edwards Dam became a pivotal moment in the history of the environmental movement and river restoration in the United States. It was the first functioning hydroelectric dam to be removed — and the first time the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ever voted, against the wishes of a dam owner, not to relicense a dam.

But most importantly the demolition signaled a shift in thinking about how we balance environmental and economic interests — and that had a ripple effect.

"It was the first big dam that came out that demonstrated to the country that our rivers had other values beyond industrial use," says John Burrows, director of New England Programs for the Atlantic Salmon Federation, which was a key player in the dam-removal effort. "It helped folks recognize that our rivers, which we've not taken good care of for several hundred years, could be a different asset for communities. And for society."

https://therevelator.org/edwards-dam-removal/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 06, 2021, 08:10:53 AM

The dirty dam truth
Hydropower is often marketed as the kind of clean, renewable energy we're supposed to want. It's what dam developers have been claiming for decades. But a growing body of scientific research shows just the opposite.

>>>The Biden administration has taken unprecedented action to confront climate change during its first months in office, from reentering the Paris Agreement on day one to announcing an ambitious greenhouse gas emissions target. But as the president works with Congress to pass the American Jobs Plan, he has an opportunity to address an equally important but often overlooked aspect of the climate crisis: dams and hydropower. They contribute to climate change, send species to extinction, and displace communities. Dams are destructive relics of the past and have no place in an America vying to be a leader in clean energy, water sustainability, and environmental protection while creating the jobs of the future.

In Massachusetts, the recent removal of three dams on the Mill River reconnected more than 30 miles of blocked fish habitat, reduced the risk of flooding, and removed public safety hazards. At Patagonia, we're proud to stand with Indigenous communities in opposing Hydro-Québec's plan to build a 145-mile hydroelectric transmission line from Canada to Lewiston, Maine, through ancestral territories and carbon-capturing forests — while advertising it to Massachusetts electricity ratepayers as a climate solution. We also support efforts by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, other environmental groups, and state agencies there to remove four dams on the Kennebec River that threaten the survival of endangered Atlantic salmon.





https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/05/opinion/dirty-dam-truth/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 23, 2022, 09:45:45 AM
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25 Dams to Watch in 2022
We curated the following list of 25 dam removal projects to highlight opportunities to watch out for in 2022.

>>>As part of "Free Rivers: the state of dam removal in the U.S.", American Rivers is spotlighting 25 projects to watch for 2022 and beyond.

Thousands of dams need to come down in the U.S., and there are opportunities for river restoration at every size and scale. American Rivers curated the following list of 25 dam removal projects to illustrate examples and highlight opportunities of the types of dam removal projects that exist across the country.

"The related crises of climate change, racial injustice, and biodiversity loss are further degrading our rivers and require us to accelerate river restoration through dam removals nationwide," said Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers.

https://www.americanrivers.org/2022/02/25-dams-to-watch-in-2022/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on March 10, 2022, 17:58:20 PM
https://youtu.be/R1OlYEf0VCo

https://caltrout.org/campaigns/matilija-dam
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on April 18, 2022, 09:46:48 AM
Eel River Dam Removal is Moving Forward. It Will Create California's Longest Free-Flowing River.

>>>On Thursday, PG&E's 50-year license for the Eel River Dams expired, with the company opting against renewing the costly Potter Valley Project (PVP). After the license is surrendered and the project is decommissioned, the long road to removing the Eel River Dams will begin, eventually creating California's longest free-flowing river.

The PVP is a hydroelectric system consisting of two dams, a diversion tunnel and a powerhouse on the Eel River. When old dams come due for relicensing, they are required to meet 21st century standards for fish passage. Upgrading these ancient structures comes with enormous cost, so much so that it is often cheaper to just remove the dams entirely. That's why PG&E has opted to abandon the outdated structures.

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The Scott Dam, siting at 99-years-old, was built as part of the PVP to provide hydroelectric power for the city of Ukiah. Before the dam was installed, the Eel hosted some of the most dramatic salmon and steelhead runs in California. The few remaining fish are now listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Because the dam prevents the normal, seasonal flushing of sediments in the river, the water is considered "impaired" under the Clean Water Act.

According to CalTrout, "The Eel represents perhaps the greatest opportunity in California to restore a watershed to its former abundance of wild salmonids."

https://www.activenorcal.com/eel-river-dam-removal-is-moving-forward-it-will-create-californias-longest-free-flowing-river/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on April 20, 2022, 08:21:23 AM
Biden admin rolls out $38 million for fish passage

The Biden administration plans to release $38 million in fiscal year 2022 to help fund 40 "shovel-ready" fish passage projects in 23 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Department of Interior announced this month. And, over the next five years, using money from the recently passed infrastructure legislation, Interior will push about $200 million toward fish-passage projects through the National Fish Passage Program.

"Across the country, millions of barriers block fish migration and put communities at higher risk of flooding," said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. "[The infrastructure law] provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in our nation's rivers, streams and communities and help restore habitat connectivity for aquatic species around the country."


>>>Elsewhere, $1.15 million in funding will go to the Potomac Headwaters Fish Passage Restoration Program, where it will help with a total of 17 fish-passage barrier removal projects, including full-on dam removals and smaller-scale projects like replacing choked culverts with bridges where roads cross streams. Higher in the system, the removal projects will benefit native brook trout and American eels in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. In all, Interior says the Potomac barrier-removal efforts will reconnect about 195 miles in the Potomac's upper-river drainage.

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/biden-admin-rolls-out-38-million-fish-passage/7715472

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 08, 2022, 22:33:42 PM
AP Analysis finds growing number of high risk dams in US


Constructed four generations ago, the massive rock and clay dam at El Capitan Reservoir is capable of storing over 36 billion gallons of water, enough to supply every resident in San Diego for most of a year.

Today, it's three-quarters empty, intentionally kept low because of concerns it could fail under the strain of too much water.

During "a big earthquake, you never know what's going to happen, if this is going to hold," said Samuel Santos, a longtime resident who frequently fishes near the dam

D744DC98-A966-4B0C-8038-487C6945009B.jpg

https://apnews.com/article/d0836a1fdfc46a5f1ea6c6a4a8b8df96
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 09, 2022, 08:33:48 AM
Indigenous carvers' totem pole to journey across Pacific Northwest to bolster dam-removal movement

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>>>This salmon is carved from cedar. But it still travels.

The totem pole, the work of Native carvers, is part of the Spirit of the Waters journey to the Snake River in Idaho, making stops in communities in Washington and Oregon. It's due in Seattle on May 19.

The journey, funded by nonprofits, foundations and other partners, is being undertaken to build momentum for a Native-led movement for the removal of the four Lower Snake River dams to rebuild salmon runs and to help the southern resident killer whales that depend on them.

In stops with the totem pole all along the way, Native youth, spiritual and political leaders will speak in public forums about the centrality of water and salmon to the health of all life in the region, for generations uncounted.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/indigenous-carvers-totem-pole-to-journey-across-pacific-northwest-to-bolster-dam-removal-movement/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on May 21, 2022, 23:33:05 PM
California is about to begin the nation's largest dam removal project. Here's what it means for wildlife


>>>REDDING — After decades of negotiation, the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history is expected to begin in California's far north next year.

The first of four aging dams on the Klamath River, the 250-mile waterway that originates in southern Oregon's towering Cascades and empties along the rugged Northern California coast, is on track to come down in fall 2023. Two others nearby and one across the state line will follow.

The nearly half-billion dollars needed for the joint state, tribal and corporate undertaking has been secured. The demolition plans are drafted. The contractor is in place. Final approval could come by December.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-is-about-to-begin-the-nation-s-largest-dam-removal-project-here-s-what-it-means-for-wildlife/ar-AAXyHpJ#:~:text=California%20is%20about%20to%20begin%20the%20nation%E2%80%99s%20largest,to%20restore%20the%20natural%20state%20of%20the%20basin.

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 08, 2022, 10:00:32 AM
Pacific Northwest tribes want to hold American leaders accountable and remove 4 dams

Pacific Northwest tribes are pressuring President Biden to make good on his pledge to uphold treaties in Indian Country and remove four large dams on the Snake River.

>>>In the Pacific Northwest, tribal governments are pressuring President Biden to make good on his pledge to uphold treaties in Indian country. Tribes there want four large dams removed from the Snake River in Washington state in order to protect the salmon, whose numbers are dwindling. NPR's Kirk Siegler reports.

KIRK SIEGLER, BYLINE: Growing up, Shannon Wheeler heard stories passed down from elders about the enormous salmon runs here on this tributary just a few miles upstream of the Snake River. Fish making the long journey up here from the Pacific to spawn were also huge and hearty.

SHANNON WHEELER: Those are the types of stories even Lewis and Clark talk about.

SIEGLER: Wheeler is vice chairman of the Nez Perce tribe, which first sued the U.S. government in the 1990s as salmon in parts of this basin were on the brink of extinction. Despite years of work helping them get around the dams, the populations remain about the same as back then.


https://www.npr.org/2022/07/07/1110338556/pacific-northwest-tribes-want-to-hold-american-leaders-accountable-and-remove-4-
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Fin on July 11, 2022, 07:59:02 AM
Dam news from the Dan.

https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_97b37302-fd3f-11ec-b6f4-ffb4c165de99.html (https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_97b37302-fd3f-11ec-b6f4-ffb4c165de99.html)
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 11, 2022, 08:39:18 AM
Quote from: Fin on July 11, 2022, 07:59:02 AMDam news from the Dan.

https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_97b37302-fd3f-11ec-b6f4-ffb4c165de99.html (https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_97b37302-fd3f-11ec-b6f4-ffb4c165de99.html)

One of four dams in that stretch of river.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: trout-r-us on July 11, 2022, 16:55:34 PM
Have seen some real nice smallmouth caught below that dam. Most recently about 3 weeks ago some kids were cast netting in there and we saw them catch a nice Largemouth and then about a four pound Smallmouth. Put them on the stringer along with a couple carp.
I ratted 🐀 them out to the Pittsylvania Cnty Gamefish Officer, but he was an hour away and didn't make it before the kids left.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: trout-r-us on July 11, 2022, 17:23:50 PM
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on July 11, 2022, 08:39:18 AMOne of four dams in that stretch of river.

I can only think of three down thataway. The one in the article, i.e. Long Mill, then Union Bridge Dam, then Schoolfield Dam. Next one upstream is Duke Power at Eden, NC. 
Am I missing one?
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 11, 2022, 21:50:39 PM
I was just going on memory without checking

1 of 3 it is
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Fin on July 12, 2022, 08:45:20 AM
I just wished the Dan would actually clear up as much as the artists rendering shown in the article.  n!n 
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on July 12, 2022, 09:41:14 AM
Quote from: Fin on July 12, 2022, 08:45:20 AMI just wished the Dan would actually clear up as much as the artists rendering shown in the article.  n!n 

It will in November,lol.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on July 15, 2022, 08:39:00 AM
The Path to Restoring Maine's Kennebec River


>>>Today, the future of the Kennebec River is at a turning point. Maine can continue the highly successful restoration of the river that has taken place over the past 20 years and help save Atlantic salmon from becoming extinct. We can improve the health of the river and enhance communities along the Kennebec. Doing so, however, will require Brookfield – the international, multi-billion-dollar energy giant that owns four dams between Waterville and Skowhegan – to be a productive partner. 

To help Mainers better understand this opportunity and the issues involved, we have compiled some answers to frequently asked questions and explained how you can help.


Why Now? Why the Kennebec?

The Kennebec was once the most productive river in Maine for sea-run fish, with Atlantic salmon runs in the hundreds of thousands. The removal of the Edwards Dam in Augusta in 1999 has been one of Maine's biggest environmental success stories, with millions of river herring returning annually, along with shad, sturgeon, and other species. 

https://www.nrcm.org/blog/path-to-restoring-kennebec-river/

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 16, 2022, 10:32:09 AM
Two Sabattus River dams are coming down

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Atlantic Salmon Federation, began the removal of two dams on the Sabattus River near Lisbon on Thursday.

Once the project is complete, more than 2,000 acres of lake and pond habitat and 75 miles of rivers and streams will be reopened to migratory fish such as alewives, shad, eels, and endangered Atlantic salmon.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says removing the Upper Town Dam and the Mill Remnant Dam will also eliminate public safety hazards and reduce flooding risks.

The project is being made possible, in part, by $350,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.

https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2022-09-15/two-sabattus-river-dams-are-coming-down

Once access is restored, a self-sustaining run of nearly 500,000 adult alewives could return to Sabattus Pond every year.

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on September 29, 2022, 08:48:01 AM
Not a removal, but...

Russell lake is a recent build on the Savannah River.  Work started in the 70s during the time when it seemed like the Army Corp wanted to damn everything. The lake came to fruition in the early 80s.

What was lost is 25 mile miles of remote Savannah River as it winds through a Fall Line. Gradient near Trotter Shoals runs about 25' per mile.  The river here drains about 3900 square miles, and was the size of the New River at the VA/WV state line. A river this size with this much fall would have produced some some serious III whitewater at Trotter shoals, and some great habitat for bass.  The topography here is somewhat hilly, and the river had many islands.  What a treasure lost.  Damn.

Just spent a couple days working in Calhoun Falls. This place is sparse.  People who seek to move to Florida should consider lake like on the SC/GA border.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 13, 2022, 12:41:33 PM
https://youtu.be/6xjhf4zVQNw
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on November 13, 2022, 20:44:47 PM
The damn dams well help prevent Alabama bass from migrating up the Deep River, Smith River, Mayo, Bannister River, and the Dan (Kerr Lake Alabama bass), and the upper portions of the Little River (Pee Dee watershed), and the Little River (Floyd & Montgomery County), Falling River VA.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: jwgnc on November 18, 2022, 12:08:56 PM
The largest dam demolition in history is approved for a Western river (https://www.npr.org/2022/11/17/1137442481/dam-demolition-klamath-river-california-federal-regulators-salmon?fbclid=IwAR3zTZXScBHFkop5IAl-eQL0B0YF28MMoPJDHlC7CmGFaGcHyxlNRLSEAXY)

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's unanimous vote on the lower Klamath River dams is the last major regulatory hurdle and the biggest milestone for a $500 million demolition proposal championed by Native American tribes and environmentalists for years. The project would return the lower half of California's second-largest river to a free-flowing state for the first time in more than a century.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 18, 2022, 16:24:43 PM
https://caltrout.org/watershed-moments/klamath

The Klamath River flows 253 miles from Southern Oregon through the mountains of far Northern California where it passes five hydropower dams before ultimately reaching the California coast, draining a basin of more than 10 million acres. The watershed is renowned for its majestic lakes, rivers, fishing opportunities, and strong agricultural economy.
 

The Klamath River Watershed is home to six federally-recognized Tribes (the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa, Shasta, and Klamath tribes, plus Quartz Valley Indian Reservation and the Resighini Rancheria) who lived off and tended to the fertile lands for thousands of years before European colonization. Today, Tribal nations control approximately 10 percent of the watershed while 60 percent is managed by public agencies (such as the National Park Service) and 30 percent is privately owned.

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Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Dougfish on November 18, 2022, 19:48:52 PM
My wife is flying back tomorrow after a week of heath care consulting with the tribes in Klamath Falls/Chiloquin OR.
If this gig continues, I might go out to fish.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on January 18, 2023, 09:12:24 AM
Federal approvals clear way for Klamath River dam removals

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January 17, 2023
Federal approvals clear way for Klamath River dam removals
West Coast & Pacific News
Guest Author:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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The Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River is one of several expected to be removed in 2024. Credit: Thomas Dunklin/NOAA.

Adecades-long effort to remove four dams on the lower Klamath River in California and Oregon would be the largest dam removal in the world. The dam removals would reopen access to more than 400 miles of habitat for threatened coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and other threatened native fish.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Nov. 17 gave final approval for the surrender of utility licensing for the dams, clearing the way for their removal as part of the restoration effort.

NOAA is one of many partners collaborating to build a network of restored habitat that can support these species once the dams are removed. NOAA, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and Trout Unlimited have released a detailed plan for restoring habitat in a key portion of the watershed.


https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/federal-approvals-clear-way-for-klamath-river-dam-removals
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 19, 2023, 09:50:51 AM
didn't know where to post this? under damn dams or water stupid....


As the Colorado River shrinks, federal officials consider overhauling Glen Canyon Dam


The desiccation of the Colorado River has left Lake Powell, the country's second-largest reservoir, at just 23% of capacity, its lowest level since it was filled in the 1960s.

With the reservoir now just 32 feet away from "minimum power pool" — the point at which Glen Canyon Dam would no longer generate power for six states — federal officials are studying the possibility of overhauling the dam so that it can continue to generate electricity and release water at critically low levels.

A preliminary analysis of potential modifications to the dam emerged during a virtual meeting held by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which is also reviewing options for averting a collapse of the water supply along the river. These new discussions about retooling the dam reflect growing concerns among federal officials about how climate change is contributing to the Colorado River's reduced flows, and how declining reservoirs could force major changes in dam management for years to come.


Among the immediate concerns is the threat of the reservoir dropping below the dam's power-generating threshold. If that were to occur, water would only flow through four 8-foot-wide bypass tubes, called the outlet works, which would create a chokepoint with reduced water-releasing capacity.


>>>>Weisheit said he favors the option of investing in solar and wind energy. Instead of spending up to $3 billion trying to squeeze a shrinking amount of power from the dam, he said, "you can build a lot of solar cells and turbines," including nearby on the Navajo Nation, which needs electricity.

Weisheit said he thinks the situation shows Glen Canyon Dam isn't needed.

"Take the dam out," he said, "because it's not the right dam for climate change."

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-02-18/federal-officials-consider-overhauling-glen-canyon-dam

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on February 19, 2023, 10:14:13 AM
It will be a great Spring for the Colorado watershed. Three consecutive years of La Nina is rather unusual.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/quicklinks/states/colorado

https://water.utah.gov/snowpack/

Whatever excess the Salt and Verde produce ends up in the lower Colorado basin.

https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/winter-storms-boon-for-phoenix-water-supply-colorado-river-reservoirs/75-d19b5df1-9d94-4e6a-8a69-3bce7c52bf43
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 19, 2023, 14:11:33 PM
Quote from: Onslow link=msg=178987Whatever excess the Salt and Verde produce ends up in California .



Fixed
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on April 24, 2023, 08:11:27 AM
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $35 Million for National Fish Passage
Projects to Address Climate Resilience and Strengthen Local Economies

The Department of the Interior today announced a $35 million investment in fiscal year 2023 funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 39 projects in 22 states that will address outdated or obsolete dams, culverts, levees and other barriers fragmenting our nation's rivers and streams. Today's announcement is part of the Department's five-year $200 million commitment to restore free-flowing waters, allowing fish migration and protecting communities from flooding rivers and streams. It is also part of an over $3 billion investment in fish passage and aquatic connectivity projects under the Investing in America agenda, which includes funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

"President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in our nation's rivers, streams and communities and help restore habitat connectivity for aquatic species around the country," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "As the effects of climate change continue to intensify, Tribal Nations in particular are facing unique climate-related challenges that threaten resources vital to Indigenous communities. These fish passage investments will support community-led transitions and facilitate long-term conservation and economic growth in these areas."  

Each of the funded projects was developed collaboratively by local partners and selected through a competitive process led by an interdisciplinary panel of experts from multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. Nine of the projects receiving investments will be led by Tribal partners, and many will help with conservation efforts for threatened or endangered species.

"Across the country there are millions of barriers that block viable corridors for fish and other aquatic wildlife to access spawning grounds, food sources and safe water. This historic law is giving these aquatic species a chance," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. "Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law bolsters our efforts to improve fish passage that ultimately conserves freshwater and migratory fish and wildlife, promotes safer community infrastructure, and encourages climate resiliency."

Projects will be funded in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Details are available on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's website. (https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-04/fish-passage-projects-support-migrating-fish-recreational-opportunities-and-flood)

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-35-million-national-fish-passage-projects


This includes one project in North Carolina; Ela Dam Removal Project (https://www.fws.gov/project/ela-dam-removal-project)

This project will remove the Ela Dam on the Oconaluftee River in Whittier, North Carolina. The Ela Dam has starved the downstream river of sediment, caused water loss through evaporation, and limited habitat access of several rare species in the area. Removal of this dam will restore the river and reopen nearly 550 miles that benefit the federally endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel and other rare aquatic species like the eastern hellbender. This project will be a significant benefit for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and imperiled species in the area. Increased habitat and spawning migration will restore the population of sicklefin redhorse, which was once a vital and thriving fishery of the Cherokee.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: trout-r-us on April 24, 2023, 10:06:15 AM
"Biden-Harris Administration Announces $35 Million for National Fish Passage
Projects to Address Climate Resilience and Strengthen Local Economies"

"It is also part of an over $3 billion investment in fish passage and aquatic connectivity projects under the Investing in America agenda..."

Biden-Harris gettin' stuff done.  n!n


Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Trout Maharishi on April 24, 2023, 15:52:05 PM
Glad to see the dam in Ela go. I hope it will improve the fishing in the Tuck. I don't understand where the 550 mile figure comes into play though? The Ela dam is filled with water from the Oconaluftee and is only about a mile or so from the Tuckasegee. Then the Tuck flows into Fontana Lake just a few miles downstream from Bryson City.  I don't know what Kamala had to do with it, but I certainly think he should be given credit as well.
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Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on April 26, 2023, 09:01:56 AM
Wildlife: Why are dams being removed across Europe?

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There has been a record number of river barriers removed across Europe according to a new report.

Dam Removal Europe, a collection of seven organisations including The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Rivers Trust, said at least 325 barriers were taken away across Europe.

Spain has 125 removals of barriers, which includes dams and weirs, while the UK completed 29 removals in total.

So why are so many dams being taken away?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/65387083
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on May 11, 2023, 06:09:56 AM
https://youtu.be/SLg6joAVAKc

This is the last dam on the Deep River not far from the Haw River confluence.

If this dam fails, Kentucky spotted bass will be able to migrate all the way up to high falls and take over.  However, this will open up more fishing at one of the most scenic areas of the Deep just below the confluence of the Rocky River.

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on June 27, 2023, 17:48:33 PM
The Trillion-Gallon Question
Extreme weather is threatening California's dams. What happens if they fail?

On the morning of Feb. 7, 2017, two electricians were working on a warning siren near the spillway of Oroville Dam, 60 miles north of Sacramento, when they heard an explosion. As they watched, a giant plume of water rose over their heads, and chunks of concrete began flying down the hillside toward the Feather River. The dam's spillway, a concrete channel capable of moving millions of gallons of water out of the reservoir in seconds, was disintegrating in front of them. If it had to be taken out of service, a serious rainstorm, like the one that had been falling on Northern California for days, could cause the dam — the tallest in the United States — to fail.

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Full NYT Article (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/magazine/california-dams.html?unlocked_article_code=-W73TzvpcK_BEBCaqkZUq-u1Nm_2UKDuieasdFX5Y8KniyzishNVwdSBDjLjzOn_6CX0b5IfEENPbOJZoHkOmfaPtGmwDCNCLAy9G3Cp2F5KWV0UD32z5gJj1iMKy478xLr9CcXcCll7vp1dyQCVtb6Fu0jQJmCjCcmXUJqQ_S_GX1d45nSYBsRmDoN0LalfPS-cjuYWAB3Qt7u_-9Q2onKnPsY9B013LDw5-YBikQ3_Z-guKoevl-pS25NpOH7-DsDYgdcFvYF5pQSTl0nHgcSVDZw_YnIb0bEF8L7zpmixQMUXGIIVIIIP6kcaJYO7ki_fSuKzjBUzC64&smid=url-share)
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on June 29, 2023, 08:16:23 AM
Officials celebrate removal of St. Helena's Upper York Creek Dam
Project restores access to spawning and rearing habitat for steelhead trout

 It might not be as visible as the flood project, but St. Helena's other major public works accomplishment of this century got its moment to shine on Tuesday.

City officials and dignitaries including Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, gathered at the former site of the Upper York Creek Dam along Spring Mountain Road to celebrate the dam's removal.

Twenty-eight years in the making, the $9 million project was completed in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the city waited until Tuesday to unveil a plaque commemorating the work.

Removing the dam restored access to spawning and rearing habitat for steelhead trout throughout 1.6 miles of York Creek.


https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/officials-celebrate-removal-of-st-helena-s-upper-york-creek-dam/article_fd3046fc-15cf-11ee-83ae-7b5b960730a3.html
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on June 29, 2023, 09:23:19 AM
Klamath River dam deconstruction begins!

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We are thrilled to share that deconstruction of Copco 2, the first of four dams slated to be removed on the Klamath River, has begun! Deconstruction of this dam will continue through the summer, with final decommissioning and complete removal occurring sometime in September. The other three dams, Iron Gate, Copco No. 1, and JC Boyle are expected to be removed in 2024. Learn more here.

CalTrout has been advocating for removal of the Klamath River dams for decades, and we are stoked to celebrate this significant milestone. And did you know this is going to be the world's largest dam removal ever? We couldn't have gotten here without your generous support. Thank you.

Beyond the Klamath River, we have our sights set on removing the Eel River dams, Rindge Dam, Matilija Dam, Battle Creek dams, and Searsville Dam. We need your help to get all these dams out!

Let's reconnect habitat for salmon and steelhead and remove obsolete dams across the state

https://caltrout.org/news/copco-2-deconstruction-begins-on-klamath-river?utm_source=California+Trout+List&utm_campaign=762ea3aa03-watershed+moments+launch_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cf2a51cf18-762ea3aa03-300339770&mc_cid=762ea3aa03&mc_eid=e5edc69cc8


Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on August 07, 2023, 20:08:21 PM
Damn dams.  Reservoirs are sediment bowls.  Some more so than others.  It is a safe bet to conclude the Yadkin carries more sediment above HRL than any other river in NC,  and sadly for HRL, this means the whole lake will look like a delta soon. 

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/dredging-plans-underway-at-high-rock-lake/amp/

Those who do not understand the environment will  make poor real estate investments. Ignorance does not pay.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Dougfish on August 07, 2023, 20:43:42 PM
They will never tear down the Martinsville dam on the Smiff.
Flood control? Power generation? Crazy amount of sediment.
The DuPont material in that sediment is epic. 
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 09, 2023, 09:44:47 AM
Quote from: Dougfish on August 07, 2023, 20:43:42 PMThey will never tear down the Martinsville dam on the Smiff.
Flood control? Power generation? Crazy amount of sediment.
The DuPont material in that sediment is epic. 

sadly true.... it would should be a superfund site.

https://www.epa.gov/hwcorrectiveactioncleanups/hazardous-waste-cleanup-martinsville-dupont-site-martinsville-virginia

Cleanup Status
 

EPA issued the Final Decision and Response to Comment (FDRTC) on November 16, 2012, for the Martinsville site.  The FDRTC incorporated the remedy detailed in the Statement of Basis, which restricts the Facility to industrial use through compliance with and maintenance of institutional controls, restriction on groundwater use, continued maintenance of existing soil capping over ash piles, and recovery of trichloroethylene (TCE) from groundwater.   Virginia DEQ (VA DEQ) issued a Corrective Action Permit in 2013 to implement the selected remedy.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on August 11, 2023, 09:45:30 AM
https://www.newsweek.com/inside-plan-completely-drain-lake-powell-1819013

Okay engineers, how much water is being lost by evaporation at lake Powell?
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on August 11, 2023, 11:19:33 AM
Dam repairs on North Umpqua River cause emergency lamprey salvage, concerns about steelhead

Planned repair work on Winchester Dam near Roseburg has led to emergency salvage efforts for Pacific lamprey. It's just the latest concern from environmentalists who are opposed to the dam on the North Umpqua River.
An estimated 50-60 staff from state and federal agencies and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians are attempting to salvage juvenile Pacific lamprey this week, after the reservoir behind Winchester Dam was drained to make way for repairs starting August 7. According to a spokesperson with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the emergency salvage effort involves removing juvenile lamprey from the shore and returning them to the North Umpqua River.

"We are definitely concerned about the juvenile Pacific lamprey in the substrates upstream of the reservoir. We are assisting with an emergency salvage," said Michelle Dennehy, a spokesperson with ODFW.

The 16-foot-high wood and cement Winchester Dam sits alongside Interstate 5 near Roseburg, Oregon. Below it, the highway crosses the river on a bridge. Upriver from the dam, long, manicured grass lawns stretch down to the banks of the reservoir.

Starting on Monday, excavators and backhoes began assembling a makeshift road through the river rocks with large "supersacks" of sand and gravel so they could work on a few areas of the dam's face where water has been seeping through the 133-year-old structure.



https://www.ijpr.org/environment-energy-and-transportation/2023-08-10/dam-repairs-on-north-umpqua-river-causes-emergency-lamprey-salvage-concerns-about-steelhead
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 05, 2023, 12:30:33 PM
As Colorado River shrinks, California farmers urge 'one-dam solution'

For years, environmentalists have argued that the Colorado River should be allowed to flow freely across the Utah-Arizona border, saying that letting water pass around Glen Canyon Dam — and draining the giant Lake Powell reservoir — would improve the shrinking river's health.

Now, as climate change increases the strains on the river, this controversial proposal is receiving support from some surprising new allies: influential farmers in California's Imperial Valley.

In a letter to the federal Bureau of Reclamation, growers Mike and James Abatti, who run some of the biggest farming operations in the Imperial Valley, urged the government to consider sacrificing the Colorado's second-largest reservoir and storing the water farther downstream in Lake Mead — the river's largest reservoir.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/as-colorado-river-shrinks-california-farmers-urge-one-dam-solution/ar-AA1ggkiq




Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 07, 2023, 09:32:00 AM
Dam's Removal Restores Spirit and Habitat
A grand river recovers its natural flow and original beauty.

The Klamath River, flowing through Oregon and California before emptying into the Pacific Ocean, will be mighty again. The river's Iron Gate Dam is scheduled for removal, and once it is gone, the river will be home to spawning fish, riverbank shrubs, and wildlife once again. And for many Native American people, this dam removal is akin to a sacred act.

This removal project includes the demolition of four hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River, according to AP, and is the largest project of its kind in the US. The removal is now underway with expected completion by the end of 2024.

This is a huge undertaking as it will open up 400 miles of river. In comparison, the 65 dams that were removed last year opened up a total of 430 miles of river. The Klamath River project will also empty three reservoirs, reintroducing sunlight to soil that has been submerged for a century.

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/dams-removal-restores-spirit-habitat
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on September 21, 2023, 08:56:29 AM
https://youtu.be/-KAtNKxy09c
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 13, 2023, 09:05:24 AM
What happened to Washington's wildlife after the largest dam removal in US history
Sometimes the best thing we can do to restore nature is just get out of the way.

The man made flood that miraculously saved our heroes at the end of O Brother Where Art Thou were an actual occurrence in the 19th and 20th century — and a fairly common one at that — as river valleys across the American West were dammed up and drowned out at the altar of economic progress and electrification. Such was the case with Washington State's Elwha river in the 1910s. Its dam provided the economic impetus to develop the Olympic Peninsula but also blocked off nearly 40 miles of river from the open ocean, preventing native salmon species from making their annual spawning trek. However, after decades of legal wrangling by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the biggest dams on the river today are the kind made by beavers.

In this week's Hitting the Books selection, Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World, University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman recounts how quickly nature can recover when a 108-foot tall migration barrier is removed from the local ecosystem. This excerpt discusses the naturalists and biologists who strive to understand how nutrients flow through the Pacific Northwest's food web, and the myriad ways it's impacted by migratory salmon. The book as a whole takes a fascinating look at how the most basic of biological functions (yup, poopin!) of even just a few species can potentially impact life in every corner of the planet

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https://amzn.to/3QVpwaf

https://www.engadget.com/hitting-the-books-eat-poop-die-joe-roman-hatchette-books-153032502.html :;!

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on November 23, 2023, 11:20:40 AM
PG&E Moves Forward with Eel River Dam Removal
UTILITY'S PLANS HAVE DEMOLITION STARTING AS SOON AS 2028

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It now looks like two iconic North Coast rivers will flow dam free by the end of the decade.

Just weeks after the first of four dams was removed from the Klamath River as a part of what will be the largest dam removal effort in the nation's history, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. filed a 94-page surrender application to federal regulators, formalizing its plan to tear down its two dams on the Eel River that have blocked fish passage and reduced flows for more than a century.

In the filing, PG&E said deconstruction work could begin on the dams as early as 2028, pending environmental review and regulatory approval.

News of the filing was immediately celebrated by environmental and fishing groups.

"Dam removal will make the Eel the longest free-flowing river in California and will open up hundreds of miles of prime habitat unavailable to native salmon and steelhead for over 100 years," Trout Unlimited California Director Brian Johnson said in a news release. "This is the most important thing we can do for our salmon and steelhead on the Eel River, and these fisheries cannot afford to wait."

https://m.northcoastjournal.com/news/pgande-moves-forward-with-eel-river-dam-removal-28241444
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on December 16, 2023, 09:14:42 AM
NATURE, UNDAMMED
The largest-ever dam removal is underway, a milestone in the nation's reckoning over its past attempts to bend nature to human will


It was a small moment, with little fanfare, in one of the most remote patches of northern California. Just the rat-a-tat of three Caterpillar excavators gnawing through concrete signaled the beginning of the largest dam removal project in the history of the country, and perhaps the world.

There was no ribbon cutting or ceremonial dynamite detonation. But the demolition on that June day arrived only after decades of argument and activism.

The Klamath River dams, built between the early 1900s and 1960s, fundamentally reshaped one of the West's most important watersheds. They electrified this hard-to-reach part of the country for the first time, powering the nation's vision of a Manifest Destiny.


damdams.jpg

https://wapo.st/48l5agB

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2023/klamath-river-dam-removal/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on February 17, 2024, 10:26:56 AM
Court Rules "Temporary" Structure at Electron Dam Site Violates Endangered Species Act
Victory — Ruling will mean a free-flowing Puyallup River for fish for the first time in more than 100 years

— A portion of Washington's Electron Dam must be removed from the Puyallup River following a historic district court ruling today. The decision will allow water to flow naturally along the river for the first time in nearly 100 years. The Puyallup Tribe brought suit against Electron Hydro LLC after the company unlawfully discharged toxic tire crumb rubber in the river and then hastily constructed a "temporary" rock dam and sheet pile wall in 2020. The court found that the structure harms steelhead trout, Chinook salmon, and bull trout, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/court-rules-temporary-structure-at-electron-dam-site-violates-endangered-species-act

Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: trout-r-us on February 24, 2024, 18:03:39 PM
Damn Imigrants!!!!!





"On a spring day more than 300 years ago, the people of the Lenape tribe gathered in their homeland along the Brandywine Creek in Delaware.

Hundreds of fish had just begun to make their way from the Atlantic Ocean, up the Delaware River and into the Brandywine to spawn in the creek's upstream headwaters in Pennsylvania.

After a long, lean winter for the Lenape, these fish — now known as the American Shad — were greeted as relatives and the first source of fresh food for the Lenapes every year. But when Samuel Kirk built a dam in 1720 near where the Brandywine Creek meets the Christina River — which bridges the Brandywine with the Delaware River in the city of Wilmington — the shad could no longer swim to their ancestral spawning grounds upstream.

The Lenape, in turn, largely lost the springtime food source they'd relied on for thousands of years, according to Dennis Coker, the principal chief of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware. And what wildlife remained in the area, Coker added, the Europeans hunted competitively, with a "voracious appetite."

"It's very much akin to killing all of the buffalo for Plains Indians," Coker said, "with the intention of starving them."

The Lenape asked the settlers to remove the dam in the mid-1730s, according to Coker. Their "request fell on deaf ears," he said. And after the Europeans brought the smallpox virus that wiped out around 90 percent of the indigenous population, Coker said the Lenape started to leave the Brandywine."

https://delawarecurrents.org/2024/02/19/delaware-river-mill-dams/
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Woolly Bugger on March 06, 2024, 09:38:59 AM
https://youtu.be/12RDkzRMMm8
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: joe friday on March 09, 2024, 13:26:22 PM

A great topic!

From reading different posts, it seems like selective removal is the key, on a case-by-case basis.

I don't know if it's been studied, but the old Hardin Mill Dam on the south fork of the Catawba River (Gaston County) is one of those dams that no longer generates power.  What would the river be like if it were removed, I wonder.
Title: Re: Damn Dams -- Unlimited dam removal
Post by: Onslow on March 09, 2024, 17:25:17 PM
Quote from: joe friday on March 09, 2024, 13:26:22 PMA great topic!

From reading different posts, it seems like selective removal is the key, on a case-by-case basis.

I don't know if it's been studied, but the old Hardin Mill Dam on the south fork of the Catawba River (Gaston County) is one of those dams that no longer generates power.  What would the river be like if it were removed, I wonder.

I may be able to dig up a publication authored by the USGS in the 1880s or 90s.  The USGS surveyed every stream in NC that had gradient, described the rapids, measured the height of rapids, measured drainage size, calculated mean flow.

Best I remember SF Catawba is a slate belt river.  The areas of gradient are rather extreme and short.  Very similar to what one will find in SC on the Piedmont streams. The SF Catawba is very atypical in NC. The Catawba is also a bit extreme, but more incremental than the Yadkin.