An organization of environmental groups called Dam Removal Europe has reported that 487 barriers were removed from 15 European countries in 2023, setting a yearly record, Water Power Magazine reported.
The 487 removals represented a 50% year-over-year increase. The majority of the removals — 156 — were in France, 95 in Spain, 81 in Sweden, and 72 in Denmark. Most of the barriers removed were old, obsolete, and dangerous low-head weirs.
Many dams have served useful purposes in the past — such as creating hydropower, flood mitigation, and storing water for municipal purposes — but over time, many have become obsolete. When that happens, the dam's structure remains, obstructing the river's natural course and potentially harming wildlife.
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As such, there is a growing movement to restore rivers to their natural state by removing obsolete dams — and Dam Removal Europe's efforts represent significant progress for that movement, although there are still many obsolete dams to go.
"It is amazing to witness another record-breaking year for dam removals in European rivers. Almost 500 barriers were removed, highlighting the growing support for river restoration to enhance water security, reverse nature loss and adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change," Herman Wanningen, director of the World Fish Migration Foundation, a founding partner of Dam Removal Europe, said.
"From France to Finland, communities, companies and countries are investing in removing obsolete and increasingly risky barriers to improve river health for people and nature."
Dam removal projects have been on the rise in the United States as well, with great results.
In the town of Naples, Maine, experts expect local salmon populations to rebound after the removal of a dam. A decade-long study undertaken after the removal of a dam in Washington state has shown promising results, with the ecosystem rebounding to become stronger and more resilient than before.
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