US removed 100 outdated dams in 2025, reconnecting more than 4,893 river miles across 30 states

Dam removal on the Middle Fork Nooksack River, Washington (American Rivers photos) The United States removed 100 dams across 30 states in 2025, reconnecting more than 4,893 miles of rivers, according to a report by the organisation American Rivers. The organisation said it was the largest number of upstream river miles reconnected through dam removal in a single year in the US.The removal of these dams has allowed water to flow freely again in places where rivers had been blocked for decades, and in some cases, for centuries. The work is also helping restore access to habitats used by fish and other wildlife.Pennsylvania removed the highest number of dams in the US in 2025, with 14 structures taken out. The state now has 433 documented dam removals since 1912.Other states in the Northeast also recorded significant numbers. Massachusetts removed 11 dams in 2025, while Vermont removed nine. Flooding in both states has highlighted the need to address failing dams and undersized road-stream crossings.Why are old dams being removed?Many dams in the US are no longer serving the purpose for which they were originally built. The country has more than 500,000 dams in its national inventory,...