Open AccessSynthesizing Studies of Dam Removal
Author(s) -
O'Connor Jim,
East Amy
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo400003
Subject(s) - dam removal , nuclear decommissioning , watershed , fluvial , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , sediment , dam failure , geography , geology , engineering , archaeology , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , flood myth , structural basin , machine learning , computer science , waste management
Dam decommissioning is rapidly emerging as an important river restoration strategy in the United States. Hundreds of dams have been removed in the past few decades, including several large ones (>10–15 meters) impounding large sediment volumes (>10 6 cubic meters) in the past 3 years, notably Condit Dam and the Elwha River dams in Washington State. These removals and the associated studies provide for the first time an opportunity to evaluate the immediate and persistent consequences of these significant fluvial—and in some cases, coastal—perturbations. Understanding dam removal response not only improves understanding of landscape and ecosystem adjustment to profound sediment pulses but also provides important lessons for future watershed restoration efforts.