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Restoring Free-flowing Rivers in Europe

A practitioner’s toolkit for dam removal

The Nature Conservancy developed an online toolkit to provide a collection of introductory resources for partners who are generally new to using dam removal as a tool for river restoration and are interested in learning how to approach a new project or engage in an existing project.

See the full toolkit

The toolkit synthesizes resources for communicating the benefits, understanding finance options and an overview of the process and issues that drive a dam removal project, and key issues to consider in design and construction. Key sections:

  • Why remove dams: Ecological and social benefits
  • Project phases: Planning and assessment, design and permitting, construction
  • Financing options: Existing and emerging innovations.
  • Case Studies
  • Additional Resources

It also includes topics that cut across phases such as developing a project team, hiring contractors, monitoring, and communication. The toolkit emphasizes how understanding your project goals and the key issues around your river restoration project will feed into your design and construction process and ultimately lead to a sustainable site restoration into the future.

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