Dam Removal Day is an international event celebrating efforts to restore rivers by removing obsolete barriers.
What is Dam Removal Day?
Celebrating efforts to restore rivers
Dam Removal Day is an international event celebrating efforts to restore rivers by removing obsolete barriers. Inspired by the Dam Removal Europe successes, this celebration brings together local communities, river users, policymakers, and restoration experts to honour dam removal efforts and raise awareness about the importance of healthy, free-flowing rivers.
During the first week of April, participants will engage in various activities, share knowledge, and celebrate successes that contribute to the dam removal movement. The week will culminate with the official celebration day on April 4th, 2024.
Why does Dam Removal need an awareness day?
Dam removal is about more than just breaking down barriers
it is about reconnecting rivers, nature, and people. This day helps to inform the public about the wide-ranging benefits of restoring free-flowing rivers and encourage communities to take action.
Dam Removal Day highlights how free-flowing rivers support both ecosystems and people. By showcasing the positive outcomes of dam removal, from improving habitats to creating jobs, the awareness raised can help drive policy changes and inspire more restoration projects. With over 8,000 barriers removed across Europe, the momentum for dam removal is stronger than ever!
Frequently Asked Questions
For nature
Transversal barriers interrupting river flow, like dams, weirs, culverts or fords, can have different impacts on nature. By removing these barriers, we solve these negative impacts:
- Causing channel and bank erosion. E.g.: Riverbed degradation problem in Lech River (Austria)
- Deltas disappearing due to the lack of sediment deposition. E.g.: Elwha Delta recovery (Washington State, USA)
- Coastal erosion (beach shrinking or disappearing). E.g.: How a uselss da nearly destroued an econic beach (California, USA)
- Emission of green gasses, like methane (depending on the location, climate, dimensions of the reservoir). E.g.: Methane emissions from Impounded rivers: Examples from Southern Germany
- Decline or extinctions of freshwater fish population, due to impeding fish to migrate to their feeding and reproduction grounds. E.g.: Recovery of wild migratory fish population in all Pärnu River Basin.
- Deteriorating water quality, due to less oxygen levels, no natural temperatures above and below the barrier, toxic algae booming. E.g.: Vezins Dam removal (France), Four major river project blue-green algae problem (South Korea),
For people and for local economy
Removing instream barriers can bring important socio-economic benefits:
- Creating new jobs and a new economy. E.g. Economic & Community Benefits from Stream Barrier Removal Projects in Massachusetts 2015.
- Increasing real estate market. E.g.: The removal of the Edwards Dam positively impacted property values near former dam sites.
- Enhancing eco-tourism. E.g.: Pärnu River dam removals are nominated for the Nature&Scenery Awards of the Green Destinations 2024 thanks to the dam removals and river recovery.
- New business opportunities. E.g.: Thanks to Pärnu River dam removals, a Rapids Center has been built by Tori Municipality and special fishing guide tourism is being planned for the whole basin. Thanks to the migratory fish population recovery.
For safety
- Avoiding dam collapses. E.g.: 63 dam failures in the last 3 years in the USA taken from the ASDO dam failure database.
- Preventing flooding. E.g.: “San Marcos Weir in Leon City (Spain) prevented the flooding of the city during the heavy rains of 2014 and 2019” (oral communication from Duero River Basin Authority of Spain).
- Preventing fatalities. E.g.: see page 11 of the Dam Removal Europe 2023 report.
