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DAM REMOVAL RESTORES CHINOOK SALMON HABITAT
In 2020, American Rivers removed the Middle Fork Nooksack dam after 50 years of blocking fish in Washington. 2 years later, the river reopened 16 miles of habitat for Chinook salmon and troutMiddle Fork Nooksack salmon habitat: A dam built in 1961 was removed in 2020, restoring river access. This action reopened sixteen miles of...
In 2021, Washington's Skagit River System Cooperative installed an 80-foot bridge over the Lucas channel. 5 years later, the project has helped reconnect fish habitat across the floodplainA restoration project in Washington’s Barnaby Reach has focused on improving floodplain connectivity and fish passage by removing infrastru...
In 2022, Alaska began replacing a fish-blocking culvert with a 100-foot bridge at Little Tonsina River with a $1.3 million budget. 1 year later, 70.4 miles of salmon habitat were reopened to fish safelyA flood-damaged culvert along Alaska’s Little Tonsina River long prevented salmon from swimming upstream. In July 2022, crews began replaci...
In 2023, North Carolina's Catawba Lands Conservancy took on 80 acres damaged by erosion and invasive plants. 3 years later, the project aims to bring 1,000 people into restoration nearbyCatawba Lands Conservancy is restoring eighty acres within Mountain Creek Park. This project addresses soil erosion and invasive plant spec...
In 2024, four dams were removed from an American river. Over 400 miles of Salmon habitat reopened. Scientists are now watching an ecosystem rebuilding itselfFour hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River were removed in 2024. This project opened over 400 miles of historic salmon habitat. Indigenou...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent $7 million on fish ladders in 1938 to move salmon past Bonneville Dam; decades later, the system carries 1 million a season in good yearsThe Bonneville Dam’s fish ladders, designed as part of a New Deal initiative, remain operational after decades of service. The construction...
Maryland spent $12 million on a fish lift in 1991 to move American shad past Conowingo Dam; decades later, annual runs remained far below the 2 million-fish targetMaryland invested $12 million in a fish lift to help migrating shad overcome the Conowingo Dam. This technological solution proved ineffect...
In 1918–1921, one dam built on California's Carmel River provided water storage but blocked fish runs; in 2015 it came down, reopening 25 miles of habitat for steelhead troutA century-old dam on California's Carmel River was removed, restoring fish spawning grounds. Crews rerouted the river and dismantled the st...
In 2016, the Living Bog Project began restoring 750 hectares of Ireland’s raised bogs. 10 years later, over 6,300 peat dams have helped bring pioneer bog vegetation backThe Living Bog Project began Ireland's largest raised bog restoration in 2016. This initiative aimed to recreate over 750 hectares of activ...
In 1987, Denmark launched restoration of 2,200 hectares around the Skjern River. 19 years later, SPA status arrived in 2006 as wildlife returned to the restored wetlandsDenmark restored the Skjern River wetlands after agricultural decline and pollution. The project re-meandered over twenty kilometers of riv...
In 2016, NYSDEC and partners removed Shapp Pond Dam after 50 years of blocking migratory fish. 4 years later, restored habitat showed significant gains in stream health and wildlifeThe removal of the Shapp Pond Dam in Dutchess County, New York, helped restore aquatic connectivity and improve stream habitat along the Ea...
In 2021, Pat McElhenny led removal of a dam that had held back water for 100 years. 1 year later, the original Sterry Creek channel resurfaced intact, restoring a natural floodplain on Moosic MountainA 100-year-old dam came down on Moosic Mountain in Pennsylvania, but the real surprise appeared afterward. Sterry Creek’s original channel ...
In 1992, Congress authorized the removal of 2 dams that had blocked salmon for a century. 24 years later, the Elwha River once again flowed freely from the Olympic Mountains to the seaElwha River Restoration changed one of America’s most remarkable river recovery stories. Two dams once blocked salmon from reaching upstrea...
Four dams built on the Klamath River between 1918 and 1966 made power, not water storage; in 2024, the last came down, reopening 420 miles of salmon habitatIn a groundbreaking initiative, four dams on the Klamath River spanning California and Oregon have been dismantled after a century of exist...
In 2014, Maine began developing a fish elevator to carry American shad past Milford Dam. 12 years later, the system could reopen 600 miles of river habitat to a fish whose migration has been blocked for decadesA Maine fish elevator could reopen 600 miles of river habitat for alewives, giving a small fish a much bigger chance to return upstream. Th...
In 2012, PacifiCorp launched a trap-and-haul program to move adult salmon upstream past Merwin Dam. 14 years later, researchers found 2 stages in the system but 1 decisive bottleneck: young salmon failing to find the artificial current downstreamA trap-and-haul program on Washington’s Lewis River helps adult Chinook salmon bypass Merwin Dam by transporting them in trucks to upstream...
Since 2022, Alaska crews have placed more than 1,000 whole trees in a creek damaged by gold mining, helping restore 2.3 miles of salmon habitatResurrection Creek in Alaska has been revitalized into a thriving river thanks to comprehensive restoration efforts. By introducing entire ...
By the mid-2010s, California agencies had placed more than 200,000 tons of gravel below Keswick Dam, restoring egg-laying habitat for endangered salmonThe construction of dams along the Sacramento River hindered the natural flow of gravel that is essential for salmon spawning. Efforts are ...
By the mid-2010s, California agencies had placed more than 200,000 tons of gravel below Keswick Dam, restoring egg-laying habitat for endangered salmonIn an initiative aimed at revitalizing the spawning grounds for the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon, California has been transporting ...
In 2011, California turned dormant rice fields into winter salmon nurseries; the young fish grew up to eight times faster than in riversFlooded rice fields in California's Yolo Bypass are helping young salmon grow significantly faster. These fields provide a rich food source...