Aging Dams and Clogged Rivers - An Infrastructure Plan for America's Waterways

The country’s nearly two million dams are one of the most pressing infrastructure challenges for safety, the environment, and the economy. While most of these dams were originally built for economic purposes, many of their original purposes and benefits have diminished. In fact, many dams are now obsolete, costly, aging, and unsafe. A new analysis by the Center for American Progress for this report demonstrates that dams and reservoirs have modified the flow of 71 percent of Western rivers by length and that Western rivers are 66 percent more fragmented than they would be in their natural state. This report aims to outline the next phase in federal dam policy and update the values and goals surrounding dam infrastructure and healthy rivers. It offers two overarching policy solutions: Incentivize the decommissioning and removal of obsolete and unnecessary dams (2) Modernize dams that are beneficial and needed. [CAP]