3:03 "No dam project of this size has ever been torn down" - Well there was a massive dam project that has been torn down in record time just a few days ago. Rip Nova Kakhovka dam
not to think about what toxins are buried in these sedidemts over the decades which are now spilled over the fields. Don't think they can plant any crops there very soon
@@mla2385 Trust me, the decrease of fires and increase of salmon stock are worth far more. Plus lack of water hurts agg and in OR often hydrodams, fish, and farming are fighting over it. This removes one of the competitions to long term benefit of the farms.
@@Zuluknob yes, ukraine destroys its own infrastructure, risks the live of thousands of its own people only to make russia look even worse than it does already
This video has obviously been in development for a while (like most of the B1M vids I’d imagine). You can’t just create a video like this in a day. Also, last weeks video was on the creation of a dam/reservoir - this is like the other side of that. Either way, great work The B1M 👍
Most professional RUclips videos take about a week to produce. This video would have taken a week or two to produce, although little bits of it might have been produced months ago.
@@brandob9 I moved to this area 4 years ago, so I am learning the ins and outs of the issue of removing these 4 dams. Clean energy is a goal of not only CA, and the US, but around the globe. Removing the dams removes a source of clean energy. The reservoirs (water) are used for domestic use, farming and sometimes for firefighting. CA has seen the number of devastating fires grow, esp. over the last few years. My family was evacuated from our home last summer because of a wildfire. I know from personal experience the hardship created when our domestic well went dry, two years in a row. Water is a huge deal, not only in CA where I live, but in the southwestern states. Water storage and clean energy are being removed along with the dams. Plus, the property value loss to homeowners who live near the reservoirs, with no compensation from the government. This issue was put before voters and the result was 60-70% of voters want the dams to stay. Ignoring the voice of the voters is a violation of the constitution. What is going to happen to the Klamath River in an extended drought, and there are no reservoirs to release water to help the fish survive? So no, I don't think this is a great idea to remove the dams. And yes, the salmon and other species are important, esp. to the two native tribes who live here. There's got to be a better way.
@@TheMasterofComment I don't know if that is true or not. Even if it were, CA and this area have water problems. Plus wildfires, the reservoirs can be used to help firefighters do their job.
Yeah. We spent decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries building them. Some should always remain -- most of the Tennessee Valley Authority dams need to stay right where they are, as do the ones on the Colorado River. But others -- such as these along the Klamath River, have filled with sediment to such an extent that they have limited utility (and so shallow they cause the algae blooms), and we're a lot more aware of environmental concerns.
In which way is the energy these dams produced replaced? How were they operated in terms of power production? More like peak hour supply or more on a base load pattern? I am not an electric power expert, but I know that in terms of wind- and sun-based power generation it will be important to have complementary possibilities to fill in gaps in windless times with lack of sunny weather.
With the push for electric vehicles of all sizes, and elimination of natural gas, it seems like a bad time to remove power generation until the replacement is in service. Don't fall the coal fired power plants already shut down.
I grew up in Siskiyou County (where the dams are) and now live in Klamath Falls. I did some survey work for one of the restoration efforts as well. People have been arguing about this project since I was a kid so its pretty cool to see it get featured here!
None of those 4 dams were used as flood control or provided water to anyone. They were solely used for power generation and as you said. They barely did that anymore.
Can you please make a video about Mullaperiyar Dam located in Kerala, India. It's a 130 year old dam which is unsafe. If it blows up 5 districts will be in danger. I am talking about the lives of 5 milkion oeople.
I would love to see you going back to this project for the water unleashing when the projects are ready for it. Would be a great followup video with some fun shots of loada of water 😊
I worked at Copco 2 when the equipment was overhauled in 2007/2008. It was a beautiful place even with the dam. I’d love to see it what it looks like now that it’s gone.
@@wileycoyote556 There are methods of low carbon energy production that don't destroy fish populations and habitats. That said I reckon they should keep hydro in the mix until there's enough solar and wind power to justify removal without putting pollution targets backward
Wind and solar don't replace load-following electricity capacity, they don't even provide base load capacity. You can build as much as you want and it won't replace these dams, ironically the best type of storage for wind and solar is hydro storage. Wind and solar also use a massive amount of land and have a detrimental effect on many species of animal for this reason (and others, for wind.)
Throwing away infrastructure without replacing is not the answer to issues with extended maintenence. Multiple strategies exist to address sedimentation in dams, tearing it down is not necessary and no expert source that I've seen has stated that it is. Oregon won't replace this power with wind and solar, in fact the primary fuel source among east Oregon utilities is coal.
@@deus_ex_machina_ very good point. I don’t think,they are mutually exclusive projects. I would hope that governments and stakeholders prioritize all projects to achieve the most safety, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits .
@@vanguard9067 Indeed. I neglected to mention that weirs were more dangerous for those traversing the river, whether swimming or in a canoe/kayak, but they don't pose a flood risk for downstream communities like larger reservoirs do. It also depends on how much you care about ecological damage. A native tribe might come to a very different conclusion than a mining company, on that front. Engineering is a matter of balancing trade-offs, after all, and the US is in for a gargantuan effort repairing and replacing its crumbling infrastructure. The only way to take decisive action while also balancing stakeholders who have competing or even opposing demands is to price in the 'externalities', an example would be a carbon tax. The other option would be to let AI decide, but even that would merely perpetuate our biases in the weights given to the various trade-offs.
@@deus_ex_machina_ I figured that’s what you meant about weirs. I pictured one in my head on the Potomac River used to ensure the necessary level to feed the Washington, DC water system. Seems every couple of years someone gets trapped (or worse) there. Yes, a gargantuan effort, one for which I am not sure the public understands the necessity. I hope the money spent will evaluate/incorporate e sustainability in project planning, design, construction, and maintenance. Think as long-term as feasible. Ah externalities, so often overlooked, ignored, hidden in unfettered capitalism. I am still shocked that most of the US environmental statutes and regulations were put in place during the Nixon administration, with strong support from both parties. It is hard to imagine that level of agreement now. As one portion of my career, I performed siting analyses and environmental impact assessments, finding that applying weighting on top of ranking of the analytical criteria, resulted in a false sense of accuracy and precision. AI would first need to learn that lesson to be at all useful, but in practice a single person or AI can’t deliver a good result. I prefer a mini-Delphi approach, during which the challenge is identifying the right people to participate. I learned so much from those people, as well has fun doing the work. Have a great day and a nice week.
Abalone fishing was greatly diminished after environmental laws were implemented in the 1960’s. This created an enormous turn around in Pacific Ocean ecosystem along the California Coast. As evidenced by increasing sea otter population et al. Salmon provides the same foundation for ecosystems all the way into Idaho. We are part of this ecosystem and I wish to play the role of gardener as opposed to conqueror (manifest destiny).
Something that many people don't realize is that the spawning fish are an important nitrogen (fertilizer) source in the watershed. The animals catching the fish or scavenging their carcasses distribute the nitrogen embodied in the fish protein on land by both scattering scraps and urinating after eating.
@@Luddite-vd2tsThose people are desperate for ways to provide energy and assist them in developing their societies. Hydro electricity is usually considered a good way to reduce dependency on coal fired power stations if the local geography is suitable. I guess there are other options though so what are your thoughts as an alternative? I’m asking respectfully.
Dams were build everywhere in the past. We are now in a time when many smaller, obsolete, dams are actually removed, and many smaller rivers are finally being restored.
While not the Klamath, you might want to check out what happened when they took down the dams holding back the Elwha and the Sandy Rivers in Western Oregon. We have salmon again!!!
Wondering about where they’re going to be getting their energy from. If it’s from fossil fuels, that isn’t exactly an environmental improvement. Maybe they’ll just buy more from BC, who produces 93% of its electricity from hydroelectric dams.
Thats a valid point, but I guess your assumption might be right: This area doesnt seem to have a shortage of hydropower. And the video even says these dams were not running at their maximum a lot of the time. The big advantage of hydro power is that (normally) its running constantly. These here seem to have major problems with so I guess they werent profitable or really efficient anyways.
Yes - seems like a bad idea to remove dams when we can’t make our climate change goals. This is about as shortsighted as countries in the EU turning off their nuclear plants. Seems by their actions many environmentalists don’t believe climate change is real. Solar and wind will not replace the generation from this. Hydro and nuclear are the only carbon free means to balance those techs with reliable 24h production.
@@Gummmibaerreally hydro can be run like a big battery - one that doesn’t require mining and replacement every 20 years. If you let water build when solar/wind are working and run water down the turbines as those energy sources are not present, this balances without requiring natural gas generation (which loses efficiency being turned on/off too). Not being 100% on doesn’t remove the value of this for a balanced carbon free grid. In fact some dams pump up off peak and allow rundown on peak to balance grids. Ironically, I think CA plans to build one like that soon.
These are all tiny little insignificant dams. Iron Gate in California only has an installed capacity of 18MW for example. Your average newly installed wind turbine has an installed capacity of 3MW for reference. So at most replacing Iron Gate in terms of capacity is six newly installed wind turbines. Of course installed capacity isn't actual power generation and both wind and water plus actual electrical grid demand can fluctuate, but the point is, these aren't massive energy sources no matter how you slice it. And note that wind turbines are getting bigger and more productive all the time - the largest offshore models these days get up to 15MW per unit so it's coming to a point where even a single wind turbine would supersede this dam. When you couple that with the downstream consequences of keeping these relatively insignificant, inefficient, old hydroelectric dams in place (algal blooms, erosion, water usage concerns etc etc) it becomes a far more cost-effective solution just to tear them down than to keep them maintained when other renewables are getting better by the year.
It's great to see. It would be nice to see a before and after video not just the proposal. You mentioned 65 dams removed. How are they doing? Is it having a positive effect on the wildlife?
So, exactly how much money do the dam removals save? And over what time period? And does it take into account replacing the electricity for 70K homes with as much reliability?
That's why they'll never dismantle the O'Shaughnessy Dam inside Yosemite National Park. It would cost way too much money and the loss of water storage and power generation will cause even more problems.
Cost of maintenance over decades vs one time removal? Many dams have deferred maintenance that can no longer be ignored. Resevoirs behind dams fill up with sediment and greatly reduce their capacity to hold water, their primary function. The ecological impacts of dams are also devastating to river systems
@@fakesnow The O'Shaughnessy Dam is not a small dam. It would be enormously expensive to drain the lake, remove the dam, restore the land behind the dam, raise Don Pedro Dam 35 feet downstream, build new water aqueducts from Don Pedro Dam and build new hydroelectric power plants at Don Pedro Dam. The cost could be over US$25 billion, if they're lucky!
They don't save money or help the people who live in the areas. Dams help with water storage, power creation, and flood control. Removing them isn't about prioritizing the environment as flooding can cause enormous environment, social and economic damage. So a better question is why are governments and organizations pushing this agenda?
While this is interesting, I notice he doesn't really go into the benefits of keeping the dams. Klamath has very short bursts of rain fall and some snow pack. Avoiding flooding is important in the area with the sandy soil, and spring the local agriculture industry throughout the long dry summers would be extremely difficult without the dams. That's not too mention the about of cheep power that the dams produce. Why is there no discussion of the benefits of keeping the dam?
And lets all remember these are the same people that say fossil fuels are going to kill us and ruin the whole planet but lets get rid of our best renewable energy sources.
We still have no more fish and unfortunately no electricity, only taxes. White Salmon drains into the Columbia, which is the Boundary between Oregon & Washington. A lot of what affects people on one side, also affects the other.
It’s cool, we don’t need water, we can do without. The electricity produced can be replaced by cutting down large patches of forest and replacing them with solar and wind energy. Honestly if we want to save the planet we need to go back like it was in the year 1492 when everything was natural and everything was green.
Ok, I understand, the Salmon habitat. But with what kind of electricity sources these dams will be replaced? Hydro power is CO2 neutral, while US still doesn't have a lot of Nuclear or Solar power plants
Next up will be everyone whining about the skyrocketing cost of power ( pacific power anyone?? ) blackouts / brownouts, and a new Nuclear Power plant being built...
Being CO2 neutral doesn't equate to being environmentally good. Your EV, may be as a car itself relatively co2 neutral, but the production is everything but that, maintenance etc isn't either. Same way as Solar is also horrific for the environment, simply because it can't be recycled profitable, meaning it'll just rot and bring toxic shit in to the ground. What we have to focus on is becoming good for nature, that means rebuilding nature to its natural way AND bringing Civilization back to a more in touch way.
@@pavelmyshovThe West Coast is also removing its nuclear capacity. They're trying to replace the hydro with wind to mixed results. A lot of people want to move much of its hydro out to sea by transitioning tidal generators.
@@simsreject5925 hydro cannot be replaced by wind, because hydro is a base generation, it produces electricity 24/7, while the wind is unpredictable and produces electricity at random. Nuclear can replace hydro, but we dont see much of it either. Overall, its pretty weird to reduce amount of energy produced by carbon free sources while we all try to fight climate change
In Australia we build small dams all down rivers as it helps the eco system survive dry conditions. It works really well and creates oasis all down the river. Obviously these are just rock walls that the water fills and runs over.
A dams main function is to store water in areas that are prone to regular drought, and in particular, areas with a large population with large water needs for drinking, cooking, bathing, and growing crops. There are certain by products if you will, from building large dams. Some are positive and some are negative. There has to be a sustainable balance between human needs, and the flora/fauna of the area that is impacted by the dam. In our society today, that balance is off because certain groups believe that their agenda is more important, and maintaining a balance is not important to them. It's tha same problem with our forests. Mega fires happen because the forest is "out of balance"thanks to certain groups that feel their cause is more important than everyone elses.
Well, as a water management specialists, I see issues. Removing the hydropower and water storages could backfire badly. Water quality and sediments can be managed easily, if those engineers and others ever listening. To me a fish ladder is the best option and claiming is more expensive than dam removal is bs. Lates fish ladder technology is simple and cost-effective.
@Ruhrpottpatriot Well is a different story. There are management options. All is a trade-off. However, hydropower and energy storage are especially important for the future, especially with solar and wind power.
@@jantschierschky3461 Solar and Wind are peak load power systems which has no correlation here. Hydro is suppose to be baseload. However, these particular dams apparently run at such low capacity they don't generate much electricity. Looks like it's more of a case of these dams are so dilapidated they would need major investment to reconstittue them and thus the fish ladder in that scenario isn't as practical as you claim. Just look at the designs of these dams, where would you put a fish ladder? It would have needed these designs from the outset, you're wrong about it not being expensive here because you're talking about in general, not specifically these dams. It doesn't take an expert to look at these designs and go yeah i'm sure it's a simple fix. Dude really? Infinite resources scenario: yes it could be done: real world scenario: it's far too costly for the benefit when it only addresses one of numerous problems. The US has blocked too many rivers over the years back when there wasn't any possible way to know the long term impacts. Just because you have a reservoir doesn't mean it's quality water, in fact it's the opposite there it's become backed up with toxic sludge and algae. Only a GOOD QUALITY source of water is useful as a reservoir, if it becomes tainted then it's a huge burden, not a benefit. These dams need to go.
@Hatchete well that why I said pump storage. The sediment is 70% organic, so it can be easily biodegraded. I do that for a living. Some dams should be removed, but many should remain.
It's a brilliant idea to finally see the havoc these dams wreak upon the natural habitats. Then we can always generate that power in a better way, like nuclear.
We have a nuclear plant near us and pay 8.5¢ watt. Those near the Smokys with hydroelectric pay 5¢ watt. Say what you want about bird killing windmills or habitat stealing solar farms green energy won't be enough to electrify the country.
"The generated electricity can be easily replaced from other sources". Ok. Which sources are those? Gas or oil fired power plants? Sounds like a really good idea in the time of global warming?
Discussed this whilst in university 25 years ago in a hydrology course. The same analogy about blocking arteries were made back then and it never left my mind. I hope more dams are removed and more restoration projects are considered. I think the modern world is too quick to suppress natural cycles which usually puts us in competition with the earth rather than working with it.
Another example is swamps, good intentions to drain them and destroy them (malaria) but we are utterly annihilating natural processes that when disturbed have such a runaway effect it's horrifying.
@@David-rx5eoI'm personally not fully on board with solar and wind. I don't have a perfect solution but I do like the concept of solar. I've looked into geothermal but even there I feel there's something we've yet to consider that could much more "equitable". Many good ideas I've seen over the years so I think there's good conversation out there.
@@David-rx5eo You mean rooftops and unused parking lots? /s Most solar farms are put up where a building had been demolished, or on land that was already degraded, or even to coexist with grazing lands. You don't demolish habitats for solar. It doesn't make any sense economically to do so.
@@FranNyan No I mean the huge solar and wind farms that they build. If you think they are not building huge solar and win farms then you are deluding yourself. In fact I drive past big wind farms in California every time I got out to a Desert Casino to see a concert, and those wind farms have killed thousand of birds. I no want I am talking about, because I did the research and wrote a term paper about it.
With all due respect to the commentary. I believe there is a misunderstanding. As stated in the beginning, these Dams no longer serve the purpose they were built for. No one is suggesting every Dam should be taken out.
both Keno and link river dams contain fish ladders. Additionally, neither of these two dams were ever the main drivers of the toxic algae blooms that have devastated fish populations.
@@Potatopancakes1899 Yeah the ladders should help some, but Upper Klamath Lake has routine blue green algae advisories where people shouldn't swim in the lake.
@@bigfish222 That is true and primarily a result of fertilizer runoff. The dam removal should open up habitat in the stream below the Keno dam and potentially in the areas above Klamath Lake. Even when there are toxic algae blooms in the lake itself, the rivers that feed into it remain quite clean. Not sure whether this is all worth it, but it should allow fish access all the way up into the upper tributaries.
I'm all for the restoration of the environment. I went up to the Elwah, after that Dam was removed. My Only question is. How are we supplementing these losses. Now with all the EV and banning gas stoves and heating. Time to get a wood stove I guess. Set up my own little watermill for power. 🤷
They didn't. They just increased coal burning in the upper midwest. 🙃 Anti human environmentalists are agaisnt ALL industrial civilization including nuclar and hydroelectricity, not just coal, gas, and oil.
A lot of dams where built for flood control. Unless they are silted up and the silt can't be removed then removing the dam is correct? But then flood control is lost?
Since these are reservoirs. People are getting their drinking water from these reservoirs behind the dams. How are they going to replace this drinking water to the homes?
Times change and we have now applications on our phones unlike before. We got software that makes it possible to recycle electricity from active devices plugged in a wall socket.
I wonder, was there any consideration to leaving limited portions of the dams with specific sized openings in them to provide some throttling of sudden high rate flows to limit down stream flooding and infrastructure damage to cominities the river passes through?
They get plugged up with debris (like trees and limestone boulders) and stupid stuff that people push off into them (like washing machines) so good luck with that idea.
Environmentalists tend to be single-minded in their solutions to a perceived problem. So I'm willing to bet almost no consideration was given to anything other than dam removal. But a floodgate system might be a good idea given how many problems CA has had in recent years with winter runoff wiping out areas downstream. The other problem is several of these dams were built to retain water for the arid summers in regions to the south. So now CA and OR are going to have more damaging flooding in the winter and spring and more damaging drought and wildfires in the summer.
Leaving openings doesn't allow the river to flow naturally.will hold back the sediment they need gone to return the river to its natural state . The big risk of damming up the river by debris getting caught in the opening and without costly maintenance on the remaining structure the concrete will crumble and cause problems when it collapses and also the chemical that leach from the concrete will affect the purity of the water which will affect the aquatic life in the river. Fish and other aquatic life may be able to live in contaminated water but it may not be able to successfully breed and sustain future generations. Plus, who wants to spoil nature with ugly concrete
among the solutions for demolishing a dam there is a 3rd solution, which is to be banned absolutely, the technique of destroying the Banqiao dams in China in 1975. 61 dams had to be exploded with rockets from military aircraft to prevent all the dams from overflowing one after the other (all during the passage of a typhoon) causing despite everything one of the most catastrophic floods in China
Can't remove a dam when the new water level is being used by towns and farmers upstream. They would then need to rebuild their water source. Properties values as "lakefront" properties would now become "hillside" properties far from water and pretty sure owners would need to be compensated. In such cases fish ladders are far more cost effective. With the accelerating change of climate, it may not be wise to remove dams that help buffer unpredictable massive rain vs drought periods.
Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time by signing up for Masterworks - www.masterworks.art/theb1m
No! Bad B1M. Masterworks is a questionable sponsor.
@@jjc2896 right up there with crypto, nft's, and tulips.
@@jjc2896 I would like to hear your opinion on why. I'm just curious, not reprimanding
Ponzi scheme in a pseudo intellectual wrapper
You had this video in your folder for quite a while and realized now was the perfect time to play the algorithm, didn't you?
3:03 "No dam project of this size has ever been torn down" - Well there was a massive dam project that has been torn down in record time just a few days ago. Rip Nova Kakhovka dam
Rip Nord stream. America the antagonist as usual.
not to think about what toxins are buried in these sedidemts over the decades which are now spilled over the fields. Don't think they can plant any crops there very soon
@@mla2385 Trust me, the decrease of fires and increase of salmon stock are worth far more. Plus lack of water hurts agg and in OR often hydrodams, fish, and farming are fighting over it. This removes one of the competitions to long term benefit of the farms.
Inb4 orcs in the comments
Good one
I think Russia’s just conducted the world’s largest dam removal, actually.
@@Zuluknob Ruzzia.
@@Zuluknob yes, ukraine destroys its own infrastructure, risks the live of thousands of its own people only to make russia look even worse than it does already
@@Zuluknob 🤡🤡🤡
@ zuluknob
don't be so gullible. 🤡
Too soon
This video has obviously been in development for a while (like most of the B1M vids I’d imagine). You can’t just create a video like this in a day. Also, last weeks video was on the creation of a dam/reservoir - this is like the other side of that.
Either way, great work The B1M 👍
Meanwhile in Ukraine....a dam is removed overnight.
@@Mrbfgray 😞
Most professional RUclips videos take about a week to produce. This video would have taken a week or two to produce, although little bits of it might have been produced months ago.
@@Locutustry months not weeks lol. Some of these take months to make
@@Church_Of_Kloppism Lol, lol, lol, lol. Soooo sooo funny. Lol.
Bro really timed releasing this video with this specific topic on top of current recent events
My thought too. But I bet they've had planned this video for weeks beforehand. So I'm sure it's just unfortunate coincidence
This is The World's SECOND Largest Dam Removal
Dark humor at its finest, I dig it
Spontaneous
I don't get it. American meme?
@@gomahklawm4446 no a Ukrainian & Russian meme.
@@gomahklawm4446 Someone blew up a large damn along the Dniper river, it's unclear who did it.
This dam video showing all these dam projects is crazy. Might be time to go on a dam road trip and see these dam structures.
I do hope we are going to follow this story in the upcoming years.
Look up the Elwha River Damn removal
@@Nionix123 Most informative, thanks.
It’s certainly a big damn problem
yeah, lets remove all dams because of the nature and then get huge floods and electricity shortage
@@jdsd_ literally nobody said that we should, bozo
We've been doing this in Washington state for some years now, really amazing to see after the dam is gone.
I first paddled the Klamath almost 20 years ago, and even at that time the uselessness of these four dams was plainly evident from water level.
do you use electricity?
@@scottjohnston6768 I do! But these dams are very easily replaced by a few wind turbines and solar panels. 18 MW of capacity is 4-6 wind turbines now.
@@brandob9 I moved to this area 4 years ago, so I am learning the ins and outs of the issue of removing these 4 dams. Clean energy is a goal of not only CA, and the US, but around the globe. Removing the dams removes a source of clean energy. The reservoirs (water) are used for domestic use, farming and sometimes for firefighting. CA has seen the number of devastating fires grow, esp. over the last few years. My family was evacuated from our home last summer because of a wildfire. I know from personal experience the hardship created when our domestic well went dry, two years in a row. Water is a huge deal, not only in CA where I live, but in the southwestern states. Water storage and clean energy are being removed along with the dams. Plus, the property value loss to homeowners who live near the reservoirs, with no compensation from the government. This issue was put before voters and the result was 60-70% of voters want the dams to stay. Ignoring the voice of the voters is a violation of the constitution. What is going to happen to the Klamath River in an extended drought, and there are no reservoirs to release water to help the fish survive? So no, I don't think this is a great idea to remove the dams. And yes, the salmon and other species are important, esp. to the two native tribes who live here. There's got to be a better way.
@@jimperdue6166as the dams actually contributing much to electricity generation if they're below useable water levels most of the time?
@@TheMasterofComment I don't know if that is true or not. Even if it were, CA and this area have water problems. Plus wildfires, the reservoirs can be used to help firefighters do their job.
Who came here to see dam removal ?
90,000 dams? In the US? Would never have guess that.
Yeah. We spent decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries building them.
Some should always remain -- most of the Tennessee Valley Authority dams need to stay right where they are, as do the ones on the Colorado River.
But others -- such as these along the Klamath River, have filled with sediment to such an extent that they have limited utility (and so shallow they cause the algae blooms), and we're a lot more aware of environmental concerns.
It's all sorts of sizes though, from hoover dam to beaver dam. I don't know if they count beaver dams 😂
The US used to have higher taxes and less military spending.
It's closer to 200,000. Only 30,000 are inventoried
@@jayspeidell The US had no income tax during the period these dams were built. Don't make up stuff you clearly know nothing about.
In which way is the energy these dams produced replaced? How were they operated in terms of power production? More like peak hour supply or more on a base load pattern?
I am not an electric power expert, but I know that in terms of wind- and sun-based power generation it will be important to have complementary possibilities to fill in gaps in windless times with lack of sunny weather.
Finally someone who has common sense!👺
With the push for electric vehicles of all sizes, and elimination of natural gas, it seems like a bad time to remove power generation until the replacement is in service. Don't fall the coal fired power plants already shut down.
Hope they won't solve it in the German way!
Oil and gas have been lobbying hard for the removal of hydro power
Nope🙃 They just increased interstate imports natural gas and coal fired generation from the upper midwest.
I grew up in Siskiyou County (where the dams are) and now live in Klamath Falls. I did some survey work for one of the restoration efforts as well. People have been arguing about this project since I was a kid so its pretty cool to see it get featured here!
Ironic timing given the destruction of the dam in Ukraine 🇺🇦 today.
yesterday though
Probably been creating this video for weeks. Last weeks video was also on a dam / reservoir
@@GeekyMedia I'm glad someone wrote basically the same thing I just did
@@GeekyMedia maybe the b1m can predict future?? oh no
Ironic? This video was probably released to play the algorithm.
So no dams, but grid stability?
I don't see this working.
THIS IS THE NEW, NEW SCIENCE! THE ONE THAT SAYS "GOT YET" again !
None of those 4 dams were used as flood control or provided water to anyone. They were solely used for power generation and as you said. They barely did that anymore.
Thanks for another great video buff architecture man
Can you please make a video about Mullaperiyar Dam located in Kerala, India.
It's a 130 year old dam which is unsafe. If it blows up 5 districts will be in danger. I am talking about the lives of 5 milkion oeople.
I would love to see you going back to this project for the water unleashing when the projects are ready for it. Would be a great followup video with some fun shots of loada of water 😊
What method/ source is replacing the power? What was hydro-electric, what is the new power source?
Masterworks, legitimizing what criminals have done for centuries.
He doesn't care as long as he gets that sponsorship $$$
I worked at Copco 2 when the equipment was overhauled in 2007/2008. It was a beautiful place even with the dam. I’d love to see it what it looks like now that it’s gone.
Thanks for covering my state! This is quite an impressive project!
It's also an absolutely insane, irresponsible destruction of low-carbon energy infrastructure that we will regret for generations.
@@wileycoyote556 There are methods of low carbon energy production that don't destroy fish populations and habitats. That said I reckon they should keep hydro in the mix until there's enough solar and wind power to justify removal without putting pollution targets backward
Wind and solar don't replace load-following electricity capacity, they don't even provide base load capacity. You can build as much as you want and it won't replace these dams, ironically the best type of storage for wind and solar is hydro storage. Wind and solar also use a massive amount of land and have a detrimental effect on many species of animal for this reason (and others, for wind.)
@@wileycoyote556 These dams are so full of sediment, after 100 years, they've nearly reached the end of the useful lives anyway.
Throwing away infrastructure without replacing is not the answer to issues with extended maintenence. Multiple strategies exist to address sedimentation in dams, tearing it down is not necessary and no expert source that I've seen has stated that it is.
Oregon won't replace this power with wind and solar, in fact the primary fuel source among east Oregon utilities is coal.
I have been waiting over a decade to hear good news of these projects.
Restoring the land to its original state a purpose. Great!
Going through a drought “let’s take the dams down” make sense to me
As a local of these areas I love to see this topic get some discussion
There are so many under-engineered and unsafe smaller dams, we should expect an increasing rate of dam removal during the following decades.
When it comes to safety weirs are considerably more dangerous, more numerous, and much cheaper and easier to remove.
@@deus_ex_machina_ very good point. I don’t think,they are mutually exclusive projects. I would hope that governments and stakeholders prioritize all projects to achieve the most safety, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits .
@@vanguard9067 Indeed. I neglected to mention that weirs were more dangerous for those traversing the river, whether swimming or in a canoe/kayak, but they don't pose a flood risk for downstream communities like larger reservoirs do. It also depends on how much you care about ecological damage. A native tribe might come to a very different conclusion than a mining company, on that front.
Engineering is a matter of balancing trade-offs, after all, and the US is in for a gargantuan effort repairing and replacing its crumbling infrastructure.
The only way to take decisive action while also balancing stakeholders who have competing or even opposing demands is to price in the 'externalities', an example would be a carbon tax. The other option would be to let AI decide, but even that would merely perpetuate our biases in the weights given to the various trade-offs.
@@deus_ex_machina_ I figured that’s what you meant about weirs. I pictured one in my head on the Potomac River used to ensure the necessary level to feed the Washington, DC water system. Seems every couple of years someone gets trapped (or worse) there.
Yes, a gargantuan effort, one for which I am not sure the public understands the necessity. I hope the money spent will evaluate/incorporate e sustainability in project planning, design, construction, and maintenance. Think as long-term as feasible.
Ah externalities, so often overlooked, ignored, hidden in unfettered capitalism. I am still shocked that most of the US environmental statutes and regulations were put in place during the Nixon administration, with strong support from both parties. It is hard to imagine that level of agreement now. As one portion of my career, I performed siting analyses and environmental impact assessments, finding that applying weighting on top of ranking of the analytical criteria, resulted in a false sense of accuracy and precision. AI would first need to learn that lesson to be at all useful, but in practice a single person or AI can’t deliver a good result. I prefer a mini-Delphi approach, during which the challenge is identifying the right people to participate. I learned so much from those people, as well has fun doing the work.
Have a great day and a nice week.
The more they remove the better. This is great news.
Abalone fishing was greatly diminished after environmental laws were implemented in the 1960’s. This created an enormous turn around in Pacific Ocean ecosystem along the California Coast. As evidenced by increasing sea otter population et al.
Salmon provides the same foundation for ecosystems all the way into Idaho.
We are part of this ecosystem and I wish to play the role of gardener as opposed to conqueror (manifest destiny).
Something that many people don't realize is that the spawning fish are an important nitrogen (fertilizer) source in the watershed. The animals catching the fish or scavenging their carcasses distribute the nitrogen embodied in the fish protein on land by both scattering scraps and urinating after eating.
I can only pray that Ethiopian officialdom sees this and reconsiders its project to dam the Nile.
The human has become a terra former rather than a gardener.
@@Luddite-vd2tsThose people are desperate for ways to provide energy and assist them in developing their societies. Hydro electricity is usually considered a good way to reduce dependency on coal fired power stations if the local geography is suitable. I guess there are other options though so what are your thoughts as an alternative? I’m asking respectfully.
Removing good hydro electric power sources seems a very bad idea?
not the masterworks sponsor 😭😭
What's going to replace the electricity dams provide and why is it so difficult to build fish ladders?
Dams were build everywhere in the past. We are now in a time when many smaller, obsolete, dams are actually removed, and many smaller rivers are finally being restored.
While not the Klamath, you might want to check out what happened when they took down the dams holding back the Elwha and the Sandy Rivers in Western Oregon. We have salmon again!!!
Wondering about where they’re going to be getting their energy from. If it’s from fossil fuels, that isn’t exactly an environmental improvement. Maybe they’ll just buy more from BC, who produces 93% of its electricity from hydroelectric dams.
Thats a valid point, but I guess your assumption might be right: This area doesnt seem to have a shortage of hydropower. And the video even says these dams were not running at their maximum a lot of the time. The big advantage of hydro power is that (normally) its running constantly. These here seem to have major problems with so I guess they werent profitable or really efficient anyways.
Elon will be providing lithium batteries.
Yes - seems like a bad idea to remove dams when we can’t make our climate change goals. This is about as shortsighted as countries in the EU turning off their nuclear plants. Seems by their actions many environmentalists don’t believe climate change is real. Solar and wind will not replace the generation from this. Hydro and nuclear are the only carbon free means to balance those techs with reliable 24h production.
@@Gummmibaerreally hydro can be run like a big battery - one that doesn’t require mining and replacement every 20 years. If you let water build when solar/wind are working and run water down the turbines as those energy sources are not present, this balances without requiring natural gas generation (which loses efficiency being turned on/off too). Not being 100% on doesn’t remove the value of this for a balanced carbon free grid. In fact some dams pump up off peak and allow rundown on peak to balance grids. Ironically, I think CA plans to build one like that soon.
These are all tiny little insignificant dams. Iron Gate in California only has an installed capacity of 18MW for example. Your average newly installed wind turbine has an installed capacity of 3MW for reference. So at most replacing Iron Gate in terms of capacity is six newly installed wind turbines. Of course installed capacity isn't actual power generation and both wind and water plus actual electrical grid demand can fluctuate, but the point is, these aren't massive energy sources no matter how you slice it. And note that wind turbines are getting bigger and more productive all the time - the largest offshore models these days get up to 15MW per unit so it's coming to a point where even a single wind turbine would supersede this dam.
When you couple that with the downstream consequences of keeping these relatively insignificant, inefficient, old hydroelectric dams in place (algal blooms, erosion, water usage concerns etc etc) it becomes a far more cost-effective solution just to tear them down than to keep them maintained when other renewables are getting better by the year.
It's great to see. It would be nice to see a before and after video not just the proposal. You mentioned 65 dams removed. How are they doing? Is it having a positive effect on the wildlife?
Maybe the waterscould redirected toward Portland and flush out the filth now so prevalent in the City.
They can do that with the Willamette and Columbia rivers.
So what are they doing to replace the power lost from these 4 damns?
Like they said in the video. Easily replaced by other dams
@@eily_b Until the "other" dams are at max capacity and then what? Oh sorry we don't have power for you anymore...
So, exactly how much money do the dam removals save? And over what time period? And does it take into account replacing the electricity for 70K homes with as much reliability?
That's why they'll never dismantle the O'Shaughnessy Dam inside Yosemite National Park. It would cost way too much money and the loss of water storage and power generation will cause even more problems.
Cost of maintenance over decades vs one time removal? Many dams have deferred maintenance that can no longer be ignored. Resevoirs behind dams fill up with sediment and greatly reduce their capacity to hold water, their primary function. The ecological impacts of dams are also devastating to river systems
@@fakesnow The O'Shaughnessy Dam is not a small dam. It would be enormously expensive to drain the lake, remove the dam, restore the land behind the dam, raise Don Pedro Dam 35 feet downstream, build new water aqueducts from Don Pedro Dam and build new hydroelectric power plants at Don Pedro Dam. The cost could be over US$25 billion, if they're lucky!
They don't save money or help the people who live in the areas. Dams help with water storage, power creation, and flood control. Removing them isn't about prioritizing the environment as flooding can cause enormous environment, social and economic damage. So a better question is why are governments and organizations pushing this agenda?
It's like Germany getting rid of its nuclear plants and replacing them with coal.
3:40 Why is a panoramic view of Hamburg incl. the Elbphilharmonie part of this video? 🙂
With predicted water shortages coming in the near future I do question if the fish are the more important consideration here.
While this is interesting, I notice he doesn't really go into the benefits of keeping the dams.
Klamath has very short bursts of rain fall and some snow pack. Avoiding flooding is important in the area with the sandy soil, and spring the local agriculture industry throughout the long dry summers would be extremely difficult without the dams. That's not too mention the about of cheep power that the dams produce.
Why is there no discussion of the benefits of keeping the dam?
And lets all remember these are the same people that say fossil fuels are going to kill us and ruin the whole planet but lets get rid of our best renewable energy sources.
3:39 what has Hamburg to do with debt crisis in the US ?
So where does the replacement electricity come from?
B1M - "you wouldn't believe how hard it is to tear one down"
617 Squadron RAF - "Hold my beer!"
Vladimir Putin ,hold my beer
DamNation 2014 - Great documentary about US dams and their removal.... A touch old but holds up.
These dams provide a lot of electrical power. How do you avoid blackouts once the dams are removed?
New systems are being built that don't have anywhere near the environmental impact as dams do
These dams provided a very small amount of electricity, and the equipment is well past its useful lifespan; taking them out makes sense.
@@Korina42 Hydroelectric power dominates the power market in Oregon, providing nearly two-thirds of the electricity generated in the state
The Condit dam on the White Salmon river in OR was removed over a year without incident.
I heard that since the condit dam was removed fifteen thousand ppl around the area mysteriously died of an unknown illness.
That's in WA, not OR btw
We still have no more fish and unfortunately no electricity, only taxes. White Salmon drains into the Columbia, which is the Boundary between Oregon & Washington. A lot of what affects people on one side, also affects the other.
And they're now missing 14.7 megawatts of clean electricity that has been replaced with expensive natural gas firing. 🙃
@@alibarron7558if you have no electricity, how are you on the internet then?
It’s cool, we don’t need water, we can do without. The electricity produced can be replaced by cutting down large patches of forest and replacing them with solar and wind energy.
Honestly if we want to save the planet we need to go back like it was in the year 1492 when everything was natural and everything was green.
Ok, I understand, the Salmon habitat. But with what kind of electricity sources these dams will be replaced? Hydro power is CO2 neutral, while US still doesn't have a lot of Nuclear or Solar power plants
Next up will be everyone whining about the skyrocketing cost of power ( pacific power anyone?? ) blackouts / brownouts, and a new Nuclear Power plant being built...
@@matthewmattchoo6621 Nuclear power plants are great, we should definitely build more of them
Being CO2 neutral doesn't equate to being environmentally good. Your EV, may be as a car itself relatively co2 neutral, but the production is everything but that, maintenance etc isn't either. Same way as Solar is also horrific for the environment, simply because it can't be recycled profitable, meaning it'll just rot and bring toxic shit in to the ground.
What we have to focus on is becoming good for nature, that means rebuilding nature to its natural way AND bringing Civilization back to a more in touch way.
@@pavelmyshovThe West Coast is also removing its nuclear capacity. They're trying to replace the hydro with wind to mixed results. A lot of people want to move much of its hydro out to sea by transitioning tidal generators.
@@simsreject5925 hydro cannot be replaced by wind, because hydro is a base generation, it produces electricity 24/7, while the wind is unpredictable and produces electricity at random. Nuclear can replace hydro, but we dont see much of it either. Overall, its pretty weird to reduce amount of energy produced by carbon free sources while we all try to fight climate change
In Australia we build small dams all down rivers as it helps the eco system survive dry conditions. It works really well and creates oasis all down the river. Obviously these are just rock walls that the water fills and runs over.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing! Happy week to everyone! 😊😊
Given the level of water this year, are the hydro plants running flat out?
I live in Oregon and many people are hopeful that we can uncover Celilo Falls someday.
Dams along the Grand Columbia will be harder to get rid off and the energy consequences are just too huge comparing to the Klamath Dams
Do you propose to get your electricity from unicorn farts? 🦄 ☁️ ⚡ 💡
A dams main function is to store water in areas that are prone to regular drought, and in particular, areas with a large population with large water needs for drinking, cooking, bathing, and growing crops. There are certain by products if you will, from building large dams. Some are positive and some are negative. There has to be a sustainable balance between human needs, and the flora/fauna of the area that is impacted by the dam. In our society today, that balance is off because certain groups believe that their agenda is more important, and maintaining a balance is not important to them. It's tha same problem with our forests. Mega fires happen because the forest is "out of balance"thanks to certain groups that feel their cause is more important than everyone elses.
Let's remove the humans and leave the dams...lol.
Interesting timing
What kind of electrical source will it be replaced by?
I like the way you show a decaying salmon in the water like the dam cause it. The fish die after they spawn.
Sshhh!!!!! No need to obscure things with facts!!!!!!
Man. You found the best time to put a video about Dams on youtube )))
Well, as a water management specialists, I see issues.
Removing the hydropower and water storages could backfire badly. Water quality and sediments can be managed easily, if those engineers and others ever listening. To me a fish ladder is the best option and claiming is more expensive than dam removal is bs. Lates fish ladder technology is simple and cost-effective.
What would you then do about habitats that are not all year round wet or dry and rely on the changing of the water level to function?
@Ruhrpottpatriot Well is a different story. There are management options. All is a trade-off. However, hydropower and energy storage are especially important for the future, especially with solar and wind power.
@@jantschierschky3461 Solar and Wind are peak load power systems which has no correlation here. Hydro is suppose to be baseload. However, these particular dams apparently run at such low capacity they don't generate much electricity. Looks like it's more of a case of these dams are so dilapidated they would need major investment to reconstittue them and thus the fish ladder in that scenario isn't as practical as you claim. Just look at the designs of these dams, where would you put a fish ladder? It would have needed these designs from the outset, you're wrong about it not being expensive here because you're talking about in general, not specifically these dams. It doesn't take an expert to look at these designs and go yeah i'm sure it's a simple fix. Dude really? Infinite resources scenario: yes it could be done: real world scenario: it's far too costly for the benefit when it only addresses one of numerous problems.
The US has blocked too many rivers over the years back when there wasn't any possible way to know the long term impacts. Just because you have a reservoir doesn't mean it's quality water, in fact it's the opposite there it's become backed up with toxic sludge and algae. Only a GOOD QUALITY source of water is useful as a reservoir, if it becomes tainted then it's a huge burden, not a benefit. These dams need to go.
@Hatchete well that why I said pump storage. The sediment is 70% organic, so it can be easily biodegraded. I do that for a living. Some dams should be removed, but many should remain.
The fish ladder solution also has to factor in the maintenance costs of keeping an un-needed dam in that location.
Publishing date: June 7th 2023.
Another dam great video, Fred ;-) Thanks mate!
Damn kept aquifiers at high levels. Removing the dams have killed off oxegen levels in the river at least twice so far
Duhhhh....really?🤪
I don’t think removing renewable energy from the grid when we need more desperately is a smart idea.
It's being replaced by much less environmentally damaging green energy
Sure it is.
It's a brilliant idea to finally see the havoc these dams wreak upon the natural habitats.
Then we can always generate that power in a better way, like nuclear.
We have a nuclear plant near us and pay 8.5¢ watt. Those near the Smokys with hydroelectric pay 5¢ watt. Say what you want about bird killing windmills or habitat stealing solar farms green energy won't be enough to electrify the country.
@@sammythompson3694 thats still incredibly cheap! We usually pay 35-45US cents pr kWh here in Denmark.
"The generated electricity can be easily replaced from other sources". Ok. Which sources are those? Gas or oil fired power plants?
Sounds like a really good idea in the time of global warming?
A lot of small are currently being removed in France and Spain too. It's not just in the United States.
How many coal fired power stations will be required to replace the hydroelectric power output of the dams that are being removed?
None. Other dams take over
Discussed this whilst in university 25 years ago in a hydrology course. The same analogy about blocking arteries were made back then and it never left my mind. I hope more dams are removed and more restoration projects are considered. I think the modern world is too quick to suppress natural cycles which usually puts us in competition with the earth rather than working with it.
Another example is swamps, good intentions to drain them and destroy them (malaria) but we are utterly annihilating natural processes that when disturbed have such a runaway effect it's horrifying.
How about all the habitat that is being destroy for solar and wind farms?
@@David-rx5eoI'm personally not fully on board with solar and wind. I don't have a perfect solution but I do like the concept of solar. I've looked into geothermal but even there I feel there's something we've yet to consider that could much more "equitable". Many good ideas I've seen over the years so I think there's good conversation out there.
@@David-rx5eo You mean rooftops and unused parking lots? /s Most solar farms are put up where a building had been demolished, or on land that was already degraded, or even to coexist with grazing lands. You don't demolish habitats for solar. It doesn't make any sense economically to do so.
@@FranNyan No I mean the huge solar and wind farms that they build. If you think they are not building huge solar and win farms then you are deluding yourself. In fact I drive past big wind farms in California every time I got out to a Desert Casino to see a concert, and those wind farms have killed thousand of birds. I no want I am talking about, because I did the research and wrote a term paper about it.
6:42
Why kurt russel thinks when he put glasses on
he's a professor 😂😂😂
With all due respect to the commentary.
I believe there is a misunderstanding.
As stated in the beginning, these Dams no longer serve the purpose they were built for.
No one is suggesting every Dam should be taken out.
Will this channel ever show a construction/demolition that is actually completed?
It doesn't have to be expensive...mother nature will do it for free.
The English accent of this narrator makes us feel more secure in the destruction of the dams.
When they built the dam, the river was rerouted. Why not make a route for the fish....catch 2 fish with one hook 😮
Curious to know what's going to replace the power situation there after the dams are gone?
Without removing the 2 dams immediately upstream of the JC Boyle Dam I don't see how this project will change conditions much.
It makes their tummy's feel warm after they pay each other's backs.
both Keno and link river dams contain fish ladders. Additionally, neither of these two dams were ever the main drivers of the toxic algae blooms that have devastated fish populations.
@@Potatopancakes1899 Yeah the ladders should help some, but Upper Klamath Lake has routine blue green algae advisories where people shouldn't swim in the lake.
@@bigfish222 That is true and primarily a result of fertilizer runoff. The dam removal should open up habitat in the stream below the Keno dam and potentially in the areas above Klamath Lake. Even when there are toxic algae blooms in the lake itself, the rivers that feed into it remain quite clean.
Not sure whether this is all worth it, but it should allow fish access all the way up into the upper tributaries.
"No dam project of this size has ever been torn down before..."
* chuckles in 617 squadron RAF *
Dam! I'm here early.
California-- That's our water--Remove dam-- turns into dry river bed a few years later.
The B1M: the best dam content on RUclips!
Would love a follow up on this. A part 2.
I'm all for the restoration of the environment. I went up to the Elwah, after that Dam was removed. My Only question is. How are we supplementing these losses. Now with all the EV and banning gas stoves and heating. Time to get a wood stove I guess. Set up my own little watermill for power. 🤷
They didn't. They just increased coal burning in the upper midwest. 🙃 Anti human environmentalists are agaisnt ALL industrial civilization including nuclar and hydroelectricity, not just coal, gas, and oil.
Wood stoves, and fireplaces are being banned.
@@David-rx5eo They gotta catch me. I mean literally.
It's like California is *trying* to run out of water.
to be clear tho, the dams are really far away from any major population centers
I was expecting a Ukraine video for some reason
Me too for a sec. But that's Way too quick for content creators with this style
@@mr.boomguy Yeah, ""creators"" like this need time to spin the narrative properly to rope in the NPC's.
A lot of dams where built for flood control. Unless they are silted up and the silt can't be removed then removing the dam is correct? But then flood control is lost?
I’ve been interested in dam removals for a while and it’s cool to see this subject getting more attention
"Break the dam, release the river!"
Since these are reservoirs. People are getting their drinking water from these reservoirs behind the dams. How are they going to replace this drinking water to the homes?
@@johnperic6860 A reservoir this large will be difficult to replace for the homeowners. It's important to care for the people who live here.
Times change and we have now applications on our phones unlike before. We got software that makes it possible to recycle electricity from active devices plugged in a wall socket.
The government will just start rationing water. 🙃 A certain politial party loves artificially enforced energy and resource scarcity.
@@gregorymalchuk272 everyone must buy electric cars that you won't be able to charge up!
I think once you remove the dams nature will heal quite quickly.
Very enjoyable as usual 👍
Salmon must have been really missing out in the USA and Canada, not to mention the rest of the world. Where the hell are they breeding now?
My fellow Californians... Just keep all this in mind when you pay what is the most expensive electricity rates in the country.
Don't we already? I know my electricity rates have gone up a lot.
The US is not facing a debt crisis! The only problem is our idiotic debt ceiling. The level of the debt itself is not a problem.
I wonder, was there any consideration to leaving limited portions of the dams with specific sized openings in them to provide some throttling of sudden high rate flows to limit down stream flooding and infrastructure damage to cominities the river passes through?
They get plugged up with debris (like trees and limestone boulders) and stupid stuff that people push off into them (like washing machines) so good luck with that idea.
Environmentalists tend to be single-minded in their solutions to a perceived problem. So I'm willing to bet almost no consideration was given to anything other than dam removal.
But a floodgate system might be a good idea given how many problems CA has had in recent years with winter runoff wiping out areas downstream.
The other problem is several of these dams were built to retain water for the arid summers in regions to the south. So now CA and OR are going to have more damaging flooding in the winter and spring and more damaging drought and wildfires in the summer.
@@simsreject5925 this is the California way.
Leaving openings doesn't allow the river to flow naturally.will hold back the sediment they need gone to return the river to its natural state . The big risk of damming up the river by debris getting caught in the opening and without costly maintenance on the remaining structure the concrete will crumble and cause problems when it collapses and also the chemical that leach from the concrete will affect the purity of the water which will affect the aquatic life in the river. Fish and other aquatic life may be able to live in contaminated water but it may not be able to successfully breed and sustain future generations. Plus, who wants to spoil nature with ugly concrete
among the solutions for demolishing a dam there is a 3rd solution, which is to be banned absolutely, the technique of destroying the Banqiao dams in China in 1975.
61 dams had to be exploded with rockets from military aircraft to prevent all the dams from overflowing one after the other (all during the passage of a typhoon) causing despite everything one of the most catastrophic floods in China
the issue is fulfilling an "intended purpose" of course those dams are! it's the unintended consequences that are realized with time
The documentary on the Elwah dam removal is really special and worth a watch to see the value of this work being done. Great vid b1m
that was a dam that was no longer needed for what it was built for.
Dams are great for generating electricity and providing water sport facilities etc. I vote for more dams!
Some want to electrify cars and appliances but want to kill electric generation. Hmmmm
In period of power outage... The government always does things on time. Why not, we the people pay.
Can't remove a dam when the new water level is being used by towns and farmers upstream. They would then need to rebuild their water source. Properties values as "lakefront" properties would now become "hillside" properties far from water and pretty sure owners would need to be compensated. In such cases fish ladders are far more cost effective.
With the accelerating change of climate, it may not be wise to remove dams that help buffer unpredictable massive rain vs drought periods.