Toward Policies and Decision-Making for Dam Removal |
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Authors: | MARTIN W DOYLE JON M HARBOR EMILY H STANLEY |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Purdue University, 1397 Civil Engineering Building, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1397, USA, US;(2) Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, 680 N. Park St., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA, US |
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Abstract: | Dam removal has emerged as a critical issue in environmental management. Agencies responsible for dams face a drastic increase
in the number of potential dam removals in the near future. Given limited resources, these agencies need to develop ways to
decide which dams should be removed and in what order. The underlying science of dam removal is relatively undeveloped and
most agencies faced with dam removal lack a coherent purpose for removing dams. These shortcomings can be overcome by the
implementation of two policies by agencies faced with dam removal: (1) the development and adoption of a prioritization scheme
for what constitutes an important dam removal, and (2) the establishment of minimum levels of analysis prior to decision-making
about a dam removal. Federal and state agencies and the scientific community must encourage an initial experimental phase
of dam removal during which only a few dams are removed, and these are studied intensively. This will allow for the development
of the fundamental scientific understanding needed to support effective decision-making in the future and minimize the risk
of disasters arising from poorly thought out dam removal decisions. |
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Keywords: | : Dam removal Environmental policy River management River restoration |
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