As new and more efficient forms of energy technology emerge, old dams that are obsolete, ineffective, or susceptible to failure have increasingly become the focus of dam removal projects.
While these dams may have generated power for thousands of residents in years past, their obtrusive presence sees increasingly destructive effects on the ecology and physical characteristics of the rivers they preside in.
With hopes to restore habitat and create a sustainable environment for future generations, a 20-year dam removal project on the Kalamazoo River in Michigan has started in recent years and has seen significant improvement.
However, thanks to the unregulated dumping of toxic waste by paper mills further up the river, progress has been slow.
Before dams on the Kalamazoo could be approved for removal, the state of Michigan was informed by the Environmental Protection Agency that the accumulation of PCBs, or probable human carcinogens, at the dams needed to be addressed — and for good reason.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, PCBs can cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive dysfunction, growth impairment, behavioral changes, hormonal imbalances, damage to the developing brain, and increased susceptibility to disease in both humans and animals.
Years of the PCB-filled toxic waste built up in the sediment above some of the dams was at risk of flowing downstream, where it would further contaminate homes, businesses, and wildlife.
A $30 million effort to remove 120,000 cubic yards of sediment in the Kalamazoo polluted by more than 4,000 pounds of PCBs started in 2007. The project also saw the first dam removal of Plainwell Number One dam on the Kalamazoo.
Once completed, officials could finally begin the restoration of the river.
Restoration of the river has included efforts by environmental officials to prevent erosion and establish new vegetation along the banks of the Kalamazoo by installing biodegradable rope netting made from coconut fibers. New trees and shrubs have also been planted to reestablish former forest flood plains and provide habitat for wildlife.
Professors and students at the nearby Western Michigan University have been closely surveying ecological changes in the river since restoration began, with some of their findings coming as a pleasant surprise.
"In terms of fish, we're seeing a lot more fish that you'd expect to see in rivers," said Sara Diller, a Ph.D. student from Western Michigan University who leads a survey of the Kalamazoo. "There's these darters that are specific to rivers, and we just we're seeing a great abundance of them."
The Kalamazoo has also seen increased recreational use, like kayaking, spurring hope that the undammed river can return to its former state as a beautiful natural resource for humans and wildlife.
"Our kids and our grandkids should be able to float through here and never know anything was different," said Mark Mills, a regional supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources who has spent most of his career restoring the Kalamazoo River.
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