Europe is removing barriers from rivers at an encouraging pace.
The Guardian reports that Dam Removal Europe estimates that around 500 dams and other river structures have been removed from waterways across the continent in 2023, which is an increase of 50% from 2022.
France removed the most water structures of any individual European country with 156, while Spain, Sweden, and Denmark followed.
Experts estimate that around 150,000 river structures in Europe are now obsolete and may even pose danger to humans, as over 100 deaths related to them have been documented since 2000.
Most of Europe's 1.2 million river structures are less than 5 meters (or 16 feet) high, but the fragmentation caused by these structures has massive effects on local ecosystems.
When rivers are connected (that is, when structures aren't present), fish can migrate more freely, and wildlife has a chance to diversify throughout the year as water levels naturally shift. This process effectively rewilds river ecosystems, restoring them to a natural balance.
Obsolete or faulty dams can also severely impact humans when they fail, as broken or overflowing dams can flood communities with a magnitude that free-flowing rivers wouldn't.
Removals of dams and other obstructions from waterways has helped revitalize wildlife in numerous areas around the world, including the Klamath River in California, waterways in Washington's Olympic State Park, and the River Wandle in South London.
"It is amazing to witness another record-breaking year for dam removals in European rivers," Herman Wanningen, the co-founder of Dam Removal Europe and director of the World Fish Migration Foundation, told the Guardian. "It's time to rethink the way we manage our rivers by removing all obsolete barriers and letting as many rivers as possible flow freely. A river that does not flow freely is slowly dying."
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