US dam removals in 2020 restored 624 miles of habitat for salmon and steelhead

Across the United States, some rivers are beginning to flow through places where dams once stood. In 2020, 69 dams were removed across 23 states, reopening hundreds of miles of waterways that had been blocked for decades. Some structures had outlived the purpose for which they were built, while others had become expensive to maintain or posed growing safety concerns. For fish and wildlife, the changes could be significant, restoring access to stretches of river that had long been cut off. The work continued even as the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted construction and restoration projects across the country.According to American Rivers, from an obsolete industrial dam in Indiana to barriers affecting salmon habitat in Washington, the removals showed how decisions about ageing infrastructure can also reshape rivers, habitats and nearby communities. By the end of the year, the total number of dam removals in the US since 1912 had reached 1,797.US dam removals in 2020 addressed safety, ageing infrastructure and river restorationThe 69 removals recorded in 2020 brought the number of dams taken out across the US since 1912 to 1,797. Ohio recorded the highest number that year, with 11 removal...