Restoring Rivers While Balancing Human Needs

For more than a century, dams were viewed as symbols of progress. They generated electricity, stored water for growing communities, controlled floods, and helped transform the American West into an agricultural powerhouse.

Today, however, a different trend is gaining momentum.

Across the United States, hundreds of dams have been removed, and more are being considered for removal every year.

Why would communities spend millions of dollars tearing down structures that were once considered engineering marvels?

The answer lies in a growing understanding of how rivers function—and what happens when they can no longer flow freely.

America's Aging Dams

The United States is home to more than 90,000 dams. Many were built between the 1930s and 1970s.

While some continue to provide valuable services, many others have outlived their original purpose.

Old mill dams no longer power mills. Industrial dams may no longer support manufacturing operations. Some reservoirs have filled with sediment, reducing their storage capacity.

At the same time, aging infrastructure becomes more expensive to maintain.

Communities often face a difficult choice:

Should they spend millions repairing an obsolete dam, or remove it altogether?

Increasingly, removal is becoming the preferred option.

Rivers Need to Move

A healthy river is constantly moving water, sediment, nutrients, and wildlife.

Dams interrupt these natural processes.

When sediment becomes trapped behind a dam, downstream river channels may erode. Fish migrations can be blocked. Water temperatures can change. Natural flood cycles may be altered.

Over time, these impacts can affect entire ecosystems.

Removing a dam often allows a river to begin restoring itself.

Sediment starts moving again. Fish regain access to historic spawning grounds. Native vegetation can return. Water quality may improve as stagnant reservoir conditions disappear.

The Return of Fish

One of the most visible benefits of dam removal is the return of migratory fish.

Salmon, steelhead, shad, and other species evolved in rivers that allowed them to travel freely between the ocean and upstream spawning habitat.

Dams can interrupt those journeys.

Even when fish ladders are installed, migration success is often reduced.

When barriers are removed, fish can quickly reclaim habitat that has been inaccessible for decades.

In some river systems, salmon have returned to spawning grounds within months of dam removal.

For conservationists and anglers alike, these recoveries demonstrate the remarkable resilience of river ecosystems.

Improving Water Quality

As discussed in our article, Do Dams Improve Water Quality?, reservoirs can both help and harm water quality.

While reservoirs often trap sediment, they can also create conditions that encourage algae blooms, low oxygen levels, and elevated water temperatures.

When dams are removed, rivers generally return to a more natural flow pattern.

Flowing water tends to contain more oxygen and fewer stagnant conditions than reservoir water.

This can benefit fish, aquatic insects, and other organisms that depend on healthy river systems.

Not Every Dam Should Be Removed

Dam removal is not always the best solution.

Many dams continue to provide important benefits, including:

• Drinking water storage
• Irrigation supplies
• Flood protection
• Hydroelectric power generation
• Recreation opportunities

Removing a dam that serves critical community needs may not be practical or desirable.

Instead, some dams are being modernized with improved fish passage systems, updated operating procedures, and environmental flow requirements.

The goal is often to reduce impacts while preserving benefits.

Major Dam Removal Projects

Several high-profile projects have captured national attention.

The largest dam removal project in U.S. history occurred on the Klamath River, where multiple dams were removed to restore fish habitat and improve river health.

Other successful removals have occurred on rivers in Maine, Washington, Wisconsin, California, and elsewhere.

These projects have become valuable case studies for river restoration efforts nationwide.

What About the Snake River?

Discussions about dam removal frequently raise questions about the Snake River.

Four federal dams on the lower Snake River in Washington have been the subject of debate for years.

Supporters of removal argue that doing so could improve conditions for salmon and steelhead populations.

Opponents point to the dams' roles in hydropower generation, navigation, irrigation, and regional energy reliability.

The debate highlights a broader reality:

River management often involves difficult tradeoffs rather than simple answers.

Finding the Right Balance

The growing number of dam removals does not mean America is abandoning dams altogether.

Instead, communities are increasingly evaluating each structure individually.

Does the dam still serve an important purpose?

Are the environmental impacts significant?

Would removal provide greater long-term benefits?

Can modernization achieve similar results?

These questions guide today's river management decisions.

Rivers and the Future

Every river is different.

Some dams remain essential to communities and economies. Others have become costly barriers that no longer justify their impacts.

As our understanding of river ecosystems continues to grow, so too does our ability to make informed decisions about how best to manage them.

At Clean Rivers Fund, we believe healthy rivers require thoughtful stewardship. Whether through restoration, cleanup efforts, habitat protection, or improved infrastructure management, every action should move us toward cleaner, healthier waterways.

Because a healthy river is more than a resource—it is a living system that supports wildlife, communities, recreation, and future generations.

The challenge is not choosing between people and rivers.