The continuing removal of dams

posted 12/27/03

from Save Our Dams

There are approximately 75,000 dams in the United States. The majority of them are less than 10 feet high, and only 3 percent of them have hydropower capabilities. The following is a list of dams that have been removed, all of these are small dams. With the exception of the Edwards Dam in Maine which was breached in July 1999, and is not listed.

Project Name River State Owner Primary Purpose Height (ft) Length (ft) Year Built Year Removed
McGowan Dam Butte Creek CA Irrigation 1998
McPherrin Dam Butte Creek CA McPherrin family Irrigation 1998
Point Four Dam Butte Creek CA Irrigation 1998
Western Canal Dam Butte Creek CA Irrigation
Lake Christopher Dam Cold Creek CA City of South Lake Tahoe Irrigation 10 400 1950s 1994
2 small dams (weirs) Guadalupe River CA 1998
Sweasey Dam Mad River CA City of Eureka Water Storage 55 1938 1970
Rock Creek Dam Rock Creek CA Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Diversion 12 63 1925 1985
John Dee's Dam Mad River CT Homart, Inc. 17 45 ~1900
Anaconda Dam Naugatuck River CT Waterbury House Wrecking 11 330 ~1800 1999
Ford Dam #3 Rock Creek DC 1991
Dead Lakes Dam Chipola River FL Dead Lakes Water Management Recreation 22 820 1962 1987
Grangeville Dam Clearwater River ID Washington Water Power Hydropower 56 440 1911 1963
Lewiston Dam Clearwater River ID Washington Water Power Hydropower 45 1060 1927 1973
Sunbeam Dam Salmon River ID 1910 1931
Bacon Ridge Branch Weir Bacon Ridge Branch MD 1991
Deep Run Dam Deep Run River MD 1989
Railroad Trestle Dam Dorsey RunTD> MD 1994
Horsepen Branch Dam Horsepen River MD 1995
Railroad Bridge at Elkton Little Elk Creek MD 1992
Stony Run Dam Stony Run MD 1990
Route 214 Dam Western Branch MD 1998
Bangor Dam Penobscot River ME City of Bangor Water Storage 1875 1995
Columbia Falls Dam Pleasant River ME 1998
Souadabscook Dam Souadabscook River ME Maine Energy Partners Hydropower 14 75 1920 1998
Salling Dam AuSable River MI Estate of Augsta Katona Recreation 17 250 1914 1991
Newaygo Dam Muskegon River MI 1969
Air Force Dam Silver Lead Creek MI 1998
Welch Dam Cannon River MN Welch Village Ski Area Hydropower 9 120 1900 1994
Kettle River Dam Kettle River MN State of Minnesota Recreation 25 321 1908
small dam Rock Creek MT
Wallace Creek Dam Wallace Creek MT Roy P. Handley Irrigation 29 720 1922 1997
Cherry Hospital Dam Little River NC State of North Carolina Water Storage 7 135 1940's 1998
Quaker Neck Dam Neuse River NC Carolina Power & Light Co. Other 7 260 1952 1997
Two-Mile Dam Sante Fe River NM Sangre de Cristo Water Co. Water Storage 85 720 1894 1994
Fort Edward Dam Hudson River NY Niagra Mohawk Power Corp. hydropower 31 586 1898 1973
Little Darby Dam Little Darby Creek OH Columbia/Franklin County Metropolitan Park District 20 1989
Foster Dam Little Miami River OH 1984
Glen Hellen Dam Little Miami River OH 8 100 1998
Silver Creek Dam Silver Creek OH
Jackson Street Dam Bear Creek OR Rogue River Valley Irrigation District Irrigation 12 1960s 1998
Marie Dorian Dam Walla Walla River OR Milton-Freewater Control District Irrigation 8 100 1880s 1997
Lafayette Locks Dam Yamhill River OR 1963
Clear Shade Creek Reserv. Clear Shade Creek PA hydropower 14 190 1800s 1998
Coal Creek Dam #2 Coal Creek PA water storage 23 116 1876 1995
Coal Creek #3 Coal Creek PA water storage 24 1995
Coal Creek #4 Coal Creek PA water storage 14 356 1995
Diverting Dam Coal Creek PA water storage 8 55
Yorkane Dam Codorus River (tributary) PA 1997
American Paper Products Dam Conestoga River PA hydropower 4 130 1800s 1998
Rock Hill Dam Conestoga River PA hydropower 13 300 >1918 1997
Snavely's Mill Dam Fishing Creek PA hydropower 3 106 1800s 1997
Maple Hollow Reservoir Dam Gillians Run PA water storage 22 192 1902 1995
Williamsburg Station Dam Juniata River (Frankstown Branch) PA Pennsylvania Electric Co. Water Storage 27 460 1922 1996
Rose Hill Intake Dam Kettle Creek PA water storage 12 150 1998
unnamed dam Kishacoquillas Creek PA 9 175 1998
unnamed dam Laural Run PA recreation 5 50 1923 1998
Mill Port Conservancy Dam Lititz Run PA 10 10 1600s 1998
unnamed dam Lititz Run PA 4 10 1998
East Petersburg Authority Dam Lil. Conestoga River PA 4 20 1998
Maple Grove Dam Lil. Conestoga River PA hydropower 6 60 1997
Mussers Dam Middle Creek PA American Hydro Power Co. hydropower 31 384 1906 1992
Niederriter Farm Pond Dam Mill Creek PA recreation 21 350 1960s 1995
Yorktowne Paper Dam Mill Creek PA water storage 5 60 1997
Amish Dam Muddy Creek PA 3 40
Castle Fin Dam Muddy Creek PA hydropower 5 383 1917 1997
Red Run Dam Red Run PA water storage 7 40 1996
Cabin Hill Dam Spring Creek PA 1998
Pomeroy Memorial Dam Sugar Creek (West Branch) PA water storage 24 442 1923 1996
unnamed dam Tinicum Creek Tributary PA recreation 6 40 1965 1998
Newport 11 Dam Clyde River VT Citizens Utility Co. Hydropower 22 250 1956 1996
Groton Dam Wells River VT Town of Groton 5 1803 1998
Huntington Dam Apple River WI Northern States Power Co. Hydropower 1910 1968
McClure Dam Apple River WI Northern States Power Co. Hydropower 1910 1968
Somerset Dam Apple River WI Village of Somerset Hydropower 1856 1965
Mellen Dam Bad River WI 1967
Island Woolen Co. Dam Baraboo River WI 1972
Waterworks Dam Baraboo River WI City of Baraboo Recreation 14 220 1913 1998
Wonewoc Dam Baraboo River WI 1996
Hebron Dam Bark River WI Hebron Rod & Gun Club Recreation 17 170 1933 1996
Slabtown Dam Bark River WI unknown Recreation 10 60 1948 1992
Ettrick Dam Beaver Creek (North Fork) WI 1976
Greenwood Dam Black River WI unknown Hydropower 1905 00> 1994
Carpenter Creek Dam Carpenter Creek WI 1995
Mellen Waterworks Dam City Creek WI 1995
Spring Valley Dam Eau Galle River WI 3 1997
Colfax Dam Eighteen Mile Creek WI Village of Colfax Recreation 20 350 1938 1998
Hayman Falls Dam Embarrass River WI Shawano County Recreation 17 200 1918 1995
Upper Tigerton Dam Embarrass River WI 1997
Port Arthur Dam Flambeau River WI 1968
Northland Dam Flume River WI 1992
Wilmot Dam Fox River WI Kenosha County Recreation 6 200 1941 1992
Huigen Dam Handsaw Creek WI 1970
Schiek Dam Handsaw Creek WI 1970
Ontario Dam Kickapoo River WI unknown Hydropower (inactive) 1865 1992
Readstown Dam Kickapoo River WI
Lemonweir Dam Lemonweir River WI Hydropower (inactive) 1914 1992
Lowe Creek 1 Dam Lowe Creek WI
Lowe Creek 2 Dam Lowe Creek WI
Beardsley Dam Madden Branch Tributary WI 1990
Manitowoc Rapids Dam Manitowoc River WI Ray Bertler Recreation 16 400 1854 1984
Oslo Dam Manitowoc River WI 1991
Marengo Dam Marengo River WI 1993
Upper Waterloo Dam Maunesha River WI Waterloo Malting Co. Recreation 17 115 1915
Milwaukee Dam Milwaukee River WI City of Milwaukee Recreation 19 432 1920 1997
Woolen Mills Dam Milwaukee River WI City of West Bend Hydropower 1870 1988
Young America Dam Milwaukee River WI 1994
Funks Dam Oconomowoc River WI 1993
Pulcifer Dam Oconto River WI Hydropower 1869 1994
Crivitz Dam Peshtigo River WI 1993
Bowen Mill Dam Pine River WI 1996
Parfrey Glen Dam Pine River WI City of Richland Center Recreation 19 450 1934 1996
Prairie Dells Dam Prairie River WI Lincoln County Hydropower (never used) 60 1904 1991
Evans Pond Dam Rathbone Creek WI 1998
Colfax Light Power Dam Red Cedar River WI 1969
Cartwright Dam Shell Creek WI 1995
Nelsonville Dam Tomorrow River WI private owner Hydropower 1860s 1988
Whitehall Dam Trempealeau River WI 1988
Mounds Dam Willow River WI Wisconsin DNR Recreation 58 430 1925 1998
Willow Falls Dam Willow River WI Wisconsin DNR Recreation 60 160 1924 1992
Fulton Dam Yahara River WI Rock County Hydropower 1800s (mid) 1993

Utility plans to remove Condit Dam Sept 23 1999, Oregonian. PacifiCorp announced Wednesday it would remove Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in seven years, saying that would be cheaper than building fish ladders to aid salmon and steelhead trout blocked from the upper river since 1913. The decision drew quick praise from national conservationist group officials and from Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. It comes as the federal government considers removing four much larger federal dams on the lower Snake River in Washington. "This adds one more piece of very strong evidence that dam removal can be the best action," said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers, a conservation group based in Washington, D.C. The group is lobbying for breaching the Snake River dams to help restore endangered and threatened salmon runs. Babbitt said PacifiCorp's agreement to remove its dam should be a model for future decisions about other dams and illustrates that it will be possible to save Pacific salmon from extinction. "Some say it's too hard, too late, too expensive," Babbitt said. "But through our collective will, Condit Dam, on this day, has become the Northwest's epicenter of hope." They said that removing Condit Dam also will speed breaching of the four Snake River dams. Northwest tribes with treaty rights to Columbia River salmon support breaching those dams. "This agreement is a model in my mind," said Don Sampson, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, which represents four tribes with salmon treaty rights. "They looked at leaving it in. They looked at taking it out. They decided to take it out. That's what needs to happen in the Snake River." ( Thanks Tom McArthur )

Dam removal, with a twist Aug 12 1999, Oregonian. It's a scenario many conservationists would like to see repeated throughout the Northwest as part of their push to restore dwindling salmon runs. But for lakeside cabin owners, boaters and anglers, taking out Condit Dam would destroy a treasured resource that has been part of the landscape for 86 years. Disagreement about Condit comes as pressure for dam removal grows in the Northwest and throughout the country. It illustrates that -- even for conservationists -- removing dams is not a clear-cut issue. "Some say all dams are bad, all dams need to be breached so we have free-flowing rivers," said Bill Bakke, executive director of the Native Fish Society, a Portland conservation group. "But for fish that's not always the best solution." Some of southern Washington's largest rainbow trout lurk below its surface. Mergansers find cover in its coves, and osprey hunt overhead. But it makes no sense to Gary Lawson, a postal worker in nearby Bingen who catches world-class trout in Northwestern Lake, the impoundment created by Condit Dam.