WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 30, 2015 -- According to new information from American Rivers (AR) -- an organization that aims to protect wild rivers, restore damaged rivers and conserve clean water for people and nature -- communities in 19 states, working in partnership with non-profit organizations and state and federal agencies, removed 72 dams in 2014, restoring more than 730 miles of streams for the benefit of fish, wildlife and people.
States that were represented on the list were California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania topped the list for the 12th year in a row with 17 dams removed, while California had 12 dams removed and Michigan had six dams removed. Ohio, Massachusetts and Iowa each had five dams removed.
Looking ahead to this year, AR is setting a goal of 75 dam removals. Scheduled dam removals include the West Brittania Dam on the Mill River in Massachusetts and the Fielder and Wimer dams on Evans Creek, a tributary to the Rogue River in Oregon. Removal of the Plymco Dam on Town Creek in Plymouth, Mass., began just last week.
AR will add the information on the 72 dam removals in 2014 to its database of more than 1,185 dams that have been removed across the country since 1912. Most of those dams (971) were removed in the past 20 years. AR is the only organization maintaining a record of dam removals in the U.S. and uses the information to communicate the benefits of dam removal, which includes restoring river health and clean water, revitalizing fish and wildlife, improving public safety and recreation, and enhancing local economies.
AR updated its interactive river restoration map to include the 2014 dam removals. The map includes all known dam removals in the U.S. as far back as 1936. The map features the name of the dam and river, location and year the dam was removed, as well as other interesting facts. Explore the map at www.AmericanRivers.org/DamRemovalsMap.
See also:
"Largest dam removal in U.S. history completed in WA"
"USDA to repair dams in 26 states through watershed rehabilitation funding"
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