Skip to main content

The Remains of the Dam: What Have We Learned from 15 Years of US Dam Removals?

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Book cover Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 3

Abstract

Important goals for studying dam removal are to learn how rivers respond to large and rapid introductions of sediment, and to develop predictive models to guide future dam removals. Achieving these goals requires organizing case histories systematically so that underlying physical mechanisms determining rates and styles of sediment erosion, transport, and deposition are revealed. We examine a range of dam removals predominantly in the western US over the last decade, and extract useful lessons and trends that can be used to predict the response of rivers to future removals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bromley C, Randle T, Grant G, Thorne C (2011) Physical modeling of the removal of Glines Canyon Dam and Lake Mills from the Elwha River, WA. In: Papanicolaou A, Barkdoll B (eds) Sediment dynamics upon dam removal, ASCE manuals and reports on engineering practice No 122. American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, pp 97–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Burroughs B, Hayes D, Klomp K, Hansen J, Mistak J (2009) Effects of Stronach dam removal on fluvial geomorphology in the Pine River, Michigan, United States. Geomorphology 110:96–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui Y, Wilcox A (2008) Development and application of numerical models of sediment transport associated with dam removal. In: Garcia MH (ed) Sedimentation engineering: processes, measurements, modeling, and practice, ASCE manuals and reports on engineering practice No. 110. American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, pp 995–1010

    Google Scholar 

  • Downs P, Cui Y, Wooster J, Dusterhoff S, Booth D et al (2009) Managing reservoir sediment release in dam removal projects: an approach informed by physical and numerical modelling of non‐cohesive sediment. Int J River Basin Manag 7:433–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Doyle MW, Stanley EH, Harbor JM (2003a) Channel adjustments following two dam removals in Wisconsin. Water Res Res. doi:10.1029/2002WR001714

    Google Scholar 

  • Doyle MW, Stanley EH et al (2003b) Dam removal in the United States: emerging needs for science and policy. EOS 84:32–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant G, Marr J, Hill C, Johnson S, Campbell K et al (2008) Experimental and field observations of breach dynamics accompanying erosion of Marmot cofferdam, Sandy River, Oregon. In: Babcock RW (ed) Proceedings world environmental and water resources congress 2008. Ahupua’a. Curran Associates, Inc., Red Hook. doi:10.1061/40976(316)350

  • Major J, O’Connor J, Podolak C, Keith M, Grant G et al (2012) Geomorphic response of the Sandy River, Oregon, to removal of Marmot dam. US geological survey professional paper 1792. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor J, Major J, Spicer K, Mosbrucker A, Uhrich M et al (2012) Immediate downstream hydrologic and geomorphic response to the Condit Dam removal, White Salmon River, Washington. Geol Soc Am Abs Programs 44(7):42

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawaske S, Freyburg DL (2012) A comparison of past small dam removals in highly sediment-impacted systems in the U.S. Geomorphology 151:50–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Service R (2011) Will busting dams boost Salmon? Science 334:888–892

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart G, Grant G (2006) What can we learn from the removal of little dinky dams? In: Moglen (ed) Managing watersheds for human and natural impacts: proceedings of the 2005 watershed management conference, 19–22 July, 2005, Williamsburg, VA. American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, pp 1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter C, Tullos D (2010) Downstream channel changes after a small dam removal: using aerial photos and measurement error for context; Calapooia River, Oregon. River Res Appl 26:1220–1245. doi:10.1002/rra.1323

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gordon E. Grant .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Grant, G.E., Lewis, S.L. (2015). The Remains of the Dam: What Have We Learned from 15 Years of US Dam Removals?. In: Lollino, G., Arattano, M., Rinaldi, M., Giustolisi, O., Marechal, JC., Grant, G. (eds) Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09054-2_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics