Download or read book River Restoration and Dam Removal in the American West written by Bradley T. Clark and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 748 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The engineering of water resources has largely defined the advance of civilization in North America. For various purposes, this development has continually expanded, with emphasis on societal benefits often at the expense of ecological considerations. The heyday of dam building ended by the mid-1960s, with the largest structures being completed. Since then, environmental and social impacts have mounted in severity and scope. For decades, research from the natural sciences has documented many negative ecological impacts from the damming of rivers. More recently, a political movement to restore rivers and natural resources has grown and prompted numerous changes to traditional polices of river development. This dissertation's focus is dam removal, an example of such policy change, and means to restore rivers in the western US. The theoretical perspective offered by Lowry (2003) is utilized to examine policy change and explore the political dimensions of dam removal. Key variables include the degrees of political receptivity and physical complexity of proposed dam removals. Specific attention is on the three federal jurisdictional contexts in which the political debates unfold; these include dams under the direction of the US Army Corps of Engineers; the US Bureau of Reclamation; and nonfederal hydropower dams regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. A detailed case from each context examines the political dynamics and address the question of why dams in some contexts have been removed or are slated for removal, while others have not. A fourth, intergovernmental context is also considered for dams under the primary jurisdiction of a state or local administrative agency, albeit with notable federal influence and/or involvement. Broad research questions include: How do the politics of dam removal play out in different political jurisdictions? Are dramatic versus less dramatic types of policy change more or less likely in various contexts? This research finds that major policy change can occur, not only within federal administrative contexts in the West, but for cases when political receptivity is low and physical complexity is high.
Download or read book Same River Twice written by Peter Brewitt and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dam removal wasn't a realistic option in the twentieth century, and people who suggested it were dismissed as fringe environmentalists. Over the past twenty years, dam removal has become increasingly common, with dozens of removals now taking place each year in the US. Same River Twice tells the stories of three major Northwestern dam removals - the politics, people, hopes, and fears that shaped three rivers and their communities. Brewitt begins each story with the dam's construction, shows how its critics gained power, details the conflicts and controversies of removal, and explores the aftermath as the river re-established itself.
Download or read book The Challenges of Dam Removal and River Restoration written by Jerome V. DeGraff and published by Geological Society of America. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "River restoration is a societal goal in the United States. This collection of research articles focuses on our current understanding of the impacts of removing dams and the role of dam removal in the larger context of river restoration. The papers are grouped by topic: (1) assessment of existing dams, strategies to determine impounded legacy sediments, and evaluating whether or not to remove the dam; (2) case studies of the hydrologic, sediment, and ecosystem impacts of recent dam removals; (3) assessment of river restoration by modifying flows or removing dams; and (4) the concept of river restoration in the context of historical changes in river systems"--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book Dam Removal Success Stories written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Same River Twice written by Peter Kimball Brewitt and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dam removal is a new and rapidly growing phenomenon that is reshaping watersheds across the United States; nearly 600 dams were removed from American rivers 1999-2012. Dam removal restores natural flows of water, material, and wildlife upstream, downstream, and out across the floodplain. Despite this massive restorative impact, it is politically controversial, reshaping familiar landscapes and challenging traditional economies and the communities that depended upon them. American dams are aging - 85% of them will be past their useful lives by 2020 - and it is likely that many more will be removed in the future. In this work, I examine the politics of dam removal as well as its impacts on rivers, performing case studies of three major dam removals in one of the United States' removal hotspots, the West Coast. The primary restoration target in this region is populations of Pacific salmon and sea-going trout (genus Oncorhynchus), which were historically enormous but are now largely endangered. The 47-foot Marmot Dam was removed from Oregon's Sandy River in 2007, the 39-foot Savage Rapids Dam came out of Oregon's Rogue River in 2009, and the Elwha/Glines Canyon complex, 105 and 210 feet tall, started to be removed from the Elwha River, Washington, in 2011. Each of these dams was functional and economically productive when it was removed. I analyzed the political frames, venue shopping, and advocacy coalition dynamics of each case. In each case, the most challenging political frame was the cultural role of the dam and reservoir, which had long provided ancillary recreational and scenic benefits to the public --- the community saw the artificial lake as their natural landscape. The policy subsystem governing dam removal is broad and evolving, so stakeholders found useful political venues in many places. Ultimately, it was necessary for each group of stakeholders to form a mega-coalition, wherein nearly every interest group worked together to seek a united solution. It was necessary to go to the federal government or to create new inclusive venues to accomplish this and to fund the dam removal. In the cases of the Savage Rapids and Elwha Dams, the political process took decades and was challenged by many bitter clashes between stakeholders. In the case of the Marmot Removal, an efficient and amicable solution was reached in less than five years, setting an example for future dam removal project. There have been dozens of dam removals on the West Coast, costing many millions of dollars, but there has been scanty attention paid to their effectiveness for restoring salmonid populations. I assessed these removals' effectiveness in restoring these fishes' access to upstream habitat, and found that while formerly-excluded salmonids do recolonize upstream habitat in most cases, there has been little consistent monitoring of these projects. Monitoring is particularly problematic for dams that provided upstream passage prior to removal - such cases require baseline data to assess the effectiveness of dam removal, but baselines are rarely established, and in most of these cases success is impossible to prove.
Download or read book Dam Removal and River Restoration written by David D. Hart and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Same River Twice written by Peter Brewitt and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Elwha written by Lynda Mapes and published by Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CLICK HERE to download the first chapter from Elwha: A River Reborn (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) A compelling exploration of one of the largest dam removal projects in the world—and the efforts to save a stunning Northwest ecosystem * Co-published with The Seattle Times * 125 color photographs, including rare historic images * Dam removal started in September 2011 while restoration work continues today In the fall of 2011, the Times was on hand when a Montana contractor removed the first pieces from two concrete dams on the Elwha River which cuts through the Olympic range. It was the beginning of the largest dam removal project ever undertaken in North America—one dam was 200 feet tall—and the start of an unprecedented attempt to restore an entire ecosystem. More than 70 miles of the Elwha and its tributaries course from the mountain headwaters to clamming beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Through interviews, field work, archival and historical research, and photojournalism, The Seattle Times has explored and reported on the dam removal, the Elwha ecosystem, its industrialization, and now its renewal. Elwha: A River Reborn is based on these feature articles. Richly illustrated with stunning photographs, as well as historic images, graphics, and a map, Elwha tells the interwoven stories of this region. Meet the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, who anxiously await the return of renowned salmon runs savored over the generations in the stories of their elders. Discover the biologists and engineers who are bringing the dams down and laying the plan for renewal, including an unprecedented revegetation effort that will eventually cover more than 700 acres of mudflats. When the dam started to come down in Fall 2011—anticipated for more than 20 years since Congress passed the Elwha Restoration Act—it was the beginning of a $350 million project observed around the world. Elwha: A River Reborn is inspiring and instructive, a triumphant story of place, people, and environment striving to come together. Winner of the Nautilus Awards 2014 "Better Books for a Better World" Silver Award!
Download or read book Large scale dam removal and ecosystem restoration written by Rebecca McCaffery and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-09-20 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rivers are vital ecosystems that support aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and several ecosystem services, including food, water, culture, and recreation. After centuries of building dams on rivers across the world, dam removal projects are now on the rise due to obsolescence, reservoir sedimentation, insufficient return on investment, or river restoration and conservation priorities. Most dam removal projects have focused on smaller structures (< 10 m in structural height), but larger structures have also started to be removed in increasing numbers as practitioners, river managers, conservationists, and the public have gained more experience with the practice. Recent estimates suggest that only a small fraction of dam removals have been scientifically studied, and include mostly small dams and short time scales. Documenting the long-term ecological outcomes of large dam removal (i.e. >10 m tall) represents a new frontier in dam removal research: projects are more recent and provide an opportunity to understand the complex ecological changes that occur with these transformative restoration projects. Here, we aim to collate a diverse array of papers on long-term dam removal research projects involving larger dams (>10 m) to synthesize the issues, outcomes, tools, and experimental designs used to study large dam removal projects from physical, biological, and ecological perspectives. With this collection, we aim to showcase diverse global projects on ecosystem responses to large dam removal; collect perspectives from different disciplines, fields, and geographies; and synthesize the current state of knowledge in this area. We expect that this Research Topic will be informative to ongoing, long-term ecological restoration and monitoring projects related to dam removal as well as to upcoming large dam removal projects. We welcome contributions from all disciplines addressing the physical, ecological, and ecosystem responses to large-scale dam removal. Contributions could include original research in a specific discipline or area, case studies, or synthesis papers that address one or more of these topics in a transdisciplinary approach. Contributors could address any of the following major topics as related to outcomes of large dam removal, alone or in combination: Freshwater, estuarine, and marine aquatic biota; River and reservoir geomorphology; Terrestrial and riparian vegetation; Wildlife; Sedimentation; and Modelling. We would like contributors to highlight key results in their area of study, cross-disciplinary insights, and lessons learned that could inform ongoing monitoring and research efforts in current projects as well as upcoming large dam removals.
Download or read book River Restoration written by Bertrand Morandi and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-09-20 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: River Restoration River restoration initiatives are now widespread across the world. The research efforts undertaken to support them are increasingly interdisciplinary, focusing on ecological, chemical, physical as well as societal issues. River Restoration: Political, Social, and Economic Perspectives provides a comprehensive overview of research in the field of river restoration in humanities and the social sciences. It illustrates how, in the last thirty years or so, such approaches have evolved and strengthened within the restoration sciences. The scientific community working in this domain has structured itself, often regionally and circumstantially, to critically assess and improve restoration policies and practices. As a research field, river restoration tackles three thematic axes: Human-river interactions – especially perceptions and practices of rivers, and how these interactions can be changed by restoration projects Political processes, with a particular interest in governance and decision-making, and a specific emphasis on the question of public participation in restoration projects Evaluation of the social and economic benefits of river restoration River Restoration: Political, Social, and Economic Perspectives encompasses these three topics, and more, to provide the reader with the most up-to-date and holistic view of this constantly evolving area. The book will be of particular interest to human and social scientists, biophysical scientists (hydrologists, geomorphologists, ecologists), environmental scientists, public policy makers, design or planning officers, and anyone working in the field of river restoration.
Download or read book Recovering a Lost River written by Steven Hawley and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Steven Hawley, journalist and self-proclaimed "river rat," argues that the best hope for the Snake River lies in dam removal, a solution that pits the power authorities and Army Corps of Engineers against a collection of Indian tribes, farmers, fishermen, and river recreationists. The river's health, as he demonstrates, is closely connected to local economies, fresh water rights, energy independence-and even the health of orca whales in Puget Sound.
Download or read book Dam Removal written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Floodplains written by Jeffrey J. Opperman and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to temperate floodplains -- Hydrology -- Floodplain and geomorphology -- Biogeochemistry -- Ecology: introduction -- Floodplain forests -- Primary and secondary production -- Fish and other vertebrates -- Ecosystem services and floodplain reconciliation -- Floodplains as green infrastructure -- Case studies of floodplain management and reconciliation -- Central Valley floodplains: introduction and history -- Central Valley floodplains today -- Reconciling Central Valley floodplains -- Conclusions: managing temperate floodplains for multiple benefits
Download or read book Restoring the Shining Waters written by David Brooks and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2015-08-25 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No sooner had the EPA established the Superfund program in 1980 to clean up the nation’s toxic waste dumps and other abandoned hazardous waste sites, than a little Montana town found itself topping the new program’s National Priority List. Milltown, a place too small to warrant a listing in the U.S. Census, sat alongside a modest hydroelectric dam at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers. For three-quarters of a century, arsenic-laced waste from some of the world’s largest copper-mining operations had accumulated behind the dam. Soon, Milltown became the site of Superfund’s first dam removal and watershed restoration, marking a turning point in U.S. environmental history. The story of this dramatic shift is the tale of individuals rallying to reclaim a place they valued beyond its utility. In Restoring the Shining Waters, David Brooks gives an intimate account of how local citizens—homeowners, university scientists, county health officials, grassroots environmentalists, business leaders, and thousands of engaged residents—brought about the removal of Milltown Dam. Interviews with townspeople, outside environmentalists, mining executives, and federal officials reveal how the everyday actions of individuals got the dam removed and, in the process, pushed Superfund to allow more public participation in decision making and to emphasize restoration over containment of polluted environments. A federal program designed to deal with the toxic legacies of industrialization thus became a starting point for restoring America’s most damaged environments, largely through the efforts of local communities. With curiosity, conviction, and a strong sense of place, the small town of Milltown helped restore an iconic western river valley—and in doing so, shaped the history of Superfund and modern environmentalism.
Download or read book Dam Removal Success Stories written by I. Chrisholm and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Environmental Politics and Policy in the West Revised Edition written by Zachary A. Smith and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2007-08-30 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Population growth and industrial development have put the wide-open spaces and natural resources that define the West under immense stress. Vested interests clash and come to terms over embattled resources such as water, minerals, and even open space. The federal government controls 40 to 80 percent of the land base in many western states; its sway over the futures of the West's communities and environment has prompted the development of unique policies and politics in the West. Zachary A. Smith and John Freemuth bring together a roster of top scholars to explicate the issues noted above as well as other key questions in this new edition of Environmental Politics and Policy in the West, which was first published in 1993. This thoroughly revised and updated edition offers a comprehensive and current survey. Contributors address the policy process as it affects western states, how bureaucracy and politics shape environmental dialogues in the West, how western states innovate environmental policies independently of Washington, and how and when science is involved (or ignored) in management of the West's federal lands. Experts in individual resource areas explore multifaceted issues such as the politics of dam removal and restoration, wildlife resource concerns, suburban sprawl and smart growth, the management of hard-rock mining, and the allocation of the West's tightly limited water resources. Contributors include: Leslie R. Alm, Carolyn D. Baber, Walter F. Baber, Robert V. Bartlett, Hugh Bartling, Matthew A. Cahn, R. McGreggor Cawley, Charles Davis, Sandra Davis, John C. Freemuth, Sheldon Kamieniecki, Matt Lindstrom, William R. Mangun, Denise McCain-Tharnstrom, Daniel McCool, Jaina L. Moan, and Zachary A. Smith.
Download or read book Dam Removal as an Alternative to River Restoration Using Economic Efficiency Indicators written by George Woodward and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
