The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won’t conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives.

  • MicroWave@lemmy.worldOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    1 year ago

    I don’t think @LexiconDexicon@lemmy.world said hydropower is no longer needed. They just said there’s no need for so many dams anymore, and I think that’s correct in this case.

    A lot of these older and extremely underpowered dams were built in important riverways. They decimated salmon runs but produced only small amounts of power in return. For a recent example, Elwha Dam removal in Washington State comes to mind. It and another dam produced only 38% of the electricity needed to operate one sawmill, but it killed salmon habitats. You can read a little about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwha_Dam