Multi-benefit Dam Removal Projects for Dam Safety - Dam Removal as a Dam Safety Solution

ABSTRACT ONLY - The United States has long led the world in dam building-blocking and harnessing rivers for a variety of purposes, including hydropower, irrigation, flood control, and water storage. Dams, however, are not designed to last forever. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the average age of our nation's dams is now 57 years. Dam owners are responsible for repairing and maintaining these structures, often needing to incorporate updated design standards meant to improve the dam's resilience and reduce risk downstream. Repairs and upgrades are a costly endeavor and lead to deferred maintenance, particularly when many of these aging dams no longer serve the purpose they were originally built to provide nor generate the income needed for owners to sustainably maintain their dams.
A growing number of dam owners are opting to work with state dam safety offices to decommission and remove their dam structures. Along with economic, environmental, and recreational benefits, dam removals provide owners a solution to the liability and expense associated with dam ownership. In this talk, American Rivers will share case studies from the Mid-Atlantic where municipal, state and private dam owners have chosen to remove their structures. These examples will be used to illustrate how strong collaborative efforts between state dam safety offices, dam owners, non-profit partners and others can provide multiple benefits for all stakeholders involved. Presenters will describe a multidisciplinary approach and will include elements of engineering design, navigating the regulatory environment, public outreach and fundraising.