Removed Barriers

European rivers are full. Of fish? No, barriers. Over 1 million barriers are blocking our rivers but as shown in the map above more and more are removed each day.

As is shown on the European Dam Removal Map*, many dams have been removed. However, we are only scratching the surface here. Over 1 million barriers are still blocking the European rivers. The amount of removed dams is a good development but there is still a big challenge to remove all the barriers and to create free flowing rivers in Europe.

This data is compiled from many different databases. We apologise for any irregularities and if you have any data or you are missing a dam, please contact us:

Contact

Yellow markers indicate the dams removals with an available case study.

Data used for the map above is made available thanks to: Show more

Austria:

  • Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism
  • Blattfisch

Belgium:

  • L’environnement en Wallonie – SPW
  • Contrat de Rivière Semois-Chiers

Cyprus:

  • Water Development Department of Cyprus

England:

  • The Trent Rivers Trust
  • Tyne Rivers Trust
  • Don Catchment Rivers Trust
  • Environment Agency
  • South Cumbria Rivers Trust
  • South East Rivers Trust
  • Shropshire Wildlife Trust
  • Wild Trout Trust
  • Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
  • The Rivers Trust

Estonia:

  • Ministry of Environment of Estonia

Finland:

  • Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres)
  • South Karelian Foundation for Recreation Areas
  • WWF Finland

Germany:

  • Regierungspräsidium Gießen
  • Institut für Binnenfischerei e.V. Potsdam Sacrow (IfB)
  • WWF Germany
  • BUND Naturschutz
  • Zweckverband “Bevorzugtes Erholungsgebiet Bad Wünnenberg/Büren“

Ireland:

  • Loughs Agency

Lithuania:

  • Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania

Montenegro:

  • WWF Adria

Netherlands: 

  • Limburg Water Authority

Norway:

  • Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE)
  • Bærum Municipality
  • Norconsult AS

Poland:

  • Regional Water Management Authority in Rzeszów (RZGW Rzeszów)
  • Kazimierz Wielki University

Portugal:

  • Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF)
  • Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE)
  • University of Evora

France (This database does not distinguish between naturally removed and man removed):

  • Syndicat Mixte Interdépartemental de la Vallée de la Lèze (SMIVAL)
  • Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura
  • Syndicat Mixte des Basses Vallées Angevines et de la Romme (SMBVAR)
  • Bretagne Grands Migrateurs
  • Syndicat Interdépartemental d’Aménagement du Guiers et de ses Affluents (SIAGA)
  • Agence de l’Eau Artois-Picardie
  • Fédération du Pas de Calais pour la pêche et la protection du milieu aquatique (Peche62)
  • Fédération du Nord pour la pêche et de la protection du milieu aquatique (Peche59)
  • Fédération de Pêche des Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Pêche64)
  • Agence de l’eau Seine-Normandie
  • Agence de l’Eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse
  • Syndicat Mixte des bassins Bandiat-Tardoire (SYMBA)

Scotland:

  • Forth Rivers Trust
  • Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Slovakia:

  • WWF Slovakia
  • Slovak Water Management Enterprise S.E.

Spain:

  • Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic challenge (MITECO)
  • Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental ‘IHCantabria’
  • Gipuzkoa Provincial Council
  • Cantabrian River Basin Authority
  • Segura River Basin Authority
  • Guadalquivir River Basin Authority
  • Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir
  • Basque Water Agency (URA)
  • Catalonia Water Agency (ACA)
  • Duero River Basin Authority
  • Rios con Vida
  • DIVAQUA

Sweden:

  • Jönköpings Fiskeribiologi AB
  • Länsstyrelsen i Jönköpings län
  • County Administrative Board of Norrbotten
  • Länsstyrelsen Västernorrland

Switzerland:

  • WWF Switzerland

Ukraine:

  • WWF Ukraine

Wales:

  • Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
  • Caring for Welsh Rivers / Afonydd Cymru

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Mapping dams in European rivers

Barriers in European rivers

The above map is a result of the AMBER project which aims to map all barriers in European rivers. The map has two tabs, one is called “App” this is all the data collected by Citizen Scientists using the “Barrier Tracker“, a smartphone app designed to give all citizens a chance to track barriers in their river.

The other tab is called “Atlas”, this is a collection of official data gathered by scientists from the AMBER project and is frequently updated. That is why some countries might not show any barriers yet.