weir over river

Patterns, drivers, and a predictive model of dam removal cost in the United States

In past decades, dams were installed across the United States to help control the flow of rivers and supply water or hydroelectric energy to communities. However, these aging structures pose public safety threats, as well as disrupting aquatic ecosystems and harming biodiversity in freshwater systems, all while costing expensive maintenance fees. This nexus of factors has led to a series of dam removals around the country.

N-EWN members from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and University of Georgia recently teamed up with scientists from around the United States to create a tool that can help predict the costs of dam removal. This tool, which has generated buzz in news outlets like Politico Pro, American Association for the Advancement of Science’s EurekAlert! and PhysOrg, will allow planners to accurately assess the cost of removing dams–which in the past has served as a barrier to removal.

Check out their tool and accompanying article below!

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