Rodman Dam threatens clean water and habitat for fish and manatees
April 14, 2020
Contact: Erin McCombs, American Rivers, 828-649-7887
Lisa Rinaman, St. Johns Riverkeeper, 904-509-3260
Captain Erika Ritter, A Cruising Down the River, 352-299-0282
Washington, D.C. –American Rivers today named the Ocklawaha River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the Rodman Dam as a threat to clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation.
“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to restore rivers for today’s communities and future generations,” said Erin McCombs with American Rivers. “The Ocklawaha River is a Florida treasure, but this obsolete dam is holding back the river’s full potential to revitalize local communities and a healthy environment. Governor DeSantis has a historic opportunity to bring the river back to life.”
In 1968, the natural connection of the Ocklawaha River to the St. Johns River was severed by the Rodman Dam, part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal that was never built. The dam flooded over 7,500 acres of forested wetlands, 20 springs and 16 miles of the Ocklawaha River. It also caused significant harm to threatened and endangered species, adjacent wetlands and forests, 12 miles of downstream river and wetlands, and the St. Johns River. While the reservoir behind the dam, Rodman Pool, became a popular bass fishing destination, the pool has never functioned as a natural lake and must be artificially maintained and drained every three to four years to kill nuisance aquatic vegetation with herbicides. In addition, fish diversity and quantity have declined due to water quality degradation and loss of floodplain habitat.
Governor DeSantis has demonstrated his commitment to the improvement of Florida’s water resources by dedicating millions of dollars to support Everglades restoration. Lending his support in Northeast Florida for Ocklawaha River restoration is essential to the economy and health of three outstanding rivers and one of the state’s largest first magnitude springs.
“Reconnecting and restoring the St. Johns, Ocklawaha and Silver Springs by breaching the Rodman Dam offers a much-needed stimulus project that provides jobs, increases visitor traffic and restores three of Florida’s most loved waterways creating an unprecedented environmental and economic lift to Northeast Florida during a critical point in our history,” said Lisa Rinaman with St. Johns Riverkeeper.
“There is no other river in America quite like the Ocklawaha River,” said river Captain Erika Ritter. “Restoration will bring back our native fish like the striped bass, provide habitat for threatened manatees, save the cypress forest and restore a lost blueway for motorboats and paddlers from the Atlantic Ocean to the Harris Chain of Lakes.” As a young child, Ritter saw the “crusher crawler” machine destroy part of the large cypress forest near her river home.
The 74-mile river rises from the swamps and lakes of north-central Florida, winds along the Ocala National Forest, connects with the spring-fed Silver River and travels east near Orange Springs before reaching the St. Johns River, an American Heritage River. The Timucua people inhabited the region centuries ago, and in more recent times the Creek, Choctaw and several other tribes displaced from their lands by European settlers formed the Seminole nation on the banks of the Ocklawaha. Much of the river remains largely undisturbed, providing natural landscapes of hydric hammocks, long leafed and slash pine, and the sugar sandy soils that give Florida its white sand beaches. The fossil remains of paleo-mammals like mastodons and saber-toothed tigers are often found near the river.
The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.
Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Okefenokee/ St Marys River (2020), St. Johns River (2008), Apalachicola River (2016, 2002, 2000 & 1997), Peace River (2004), Caloosahatchee River (2006) and the Chattahoochee River (2016, 2012, 2000, 1998, & 1996).
AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020
#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)
Threat: Climate change, poor flood management
#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)
Threat: Climate change, poor flood management
#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)
Threat: Yazoo pumps project
#4: Puyallup River (Washington)
Threat: Electron Dam
#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)
Threat: Gold mine
#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)
Threat: Open pit sulfide mining
#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)
Threat: Gold mining
#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)
Threat: Titanium mining
#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)
Threat: Rodman Dam
#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)
Threat: Natural gas development
River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware)
Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.
The Many Voices of the Ocklawaha River
Free the Ocklawaha Coalition: “Thirty-three organizations representing millions of supporters have pulled together to make restoration a reality as we move towards the 50th anniversary of the halting of the Cross Florida Barge Canal. The Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam, never used for its intended purpose, is past its life expectancy. It is time to come together for the benefit of the economy and the environment.” – Margaret Hankinson Spontak, Chair, Free the Ocklawaha Coalition.
Dam History: “It was my grandmother who rallied 162 scientists in 1970 to convince President Nixon to stop the canal that was one third completed. As founding President of Florida Defenders of the Environment (FDE), she worked for 30 years to reconnect three rivers that were severed by the Rodman Dam. As current President of FDE my goal is to restore the Ocklawaha River with aligned stakeholders to protect wildlife and the environment through building an understanding of the interconnectedness of rivers, forests, animals, people and wellbeing.” – Jennifer Carr, FDE President and Biosecurity Research & Extension lab manager at UF Entomology & Nematology Dept.
Economic and Environmental Impact: “The recent Ocklawaha River drawdown gave us a glimpse of what the river once was and could be again. At a time when Florida’s water issues are at the forefront, restoring this special part of wild Florida makes ecological and economic sense.” – Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director, Audubon Florida
Fish: “Silver Springs will never be fully restored without the removal of the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam on the Ocklawaha River. Migratory fish from the Atlantic Ocean and St. Johns River, including striped bass, channel catfish, striped mullet, American shad, American eels, and Atlantic sturgeon, are critical to a productive Silver Springs ecosystem. Large schools of catfish and mullet, swimming over algae-free grasses, will provide a visible confirmation of restoration for the public riding the iconic Glass Bottom Boats at Silver Springs.”- Dr. Robert Knight, Executive Director, Florida Springs Institute.
Manatees: “We can address the greatest long-term threat to Florida’s manatees — loss of warm water habitat to survive during cold weather – by restoring natural flow of the Ocklawaha River and its 20 freshwater springs. Restoration would provide vital winter refuge to an estimated 1,000 manatees that shelter at impermanent power plants.” – Elizabeth Fleming, Senior Florida Representative, Defenders of Wildlife.
Recreation Use: “A University of Florida study on the Ocklawaha River, not including Silver Springs State Park, confirmed that ‘the economic impact from eco-tourists who use the natural portions of the Ocklawaha River is twice that of the anglers and boaters at Rodman Reservoir.’ Use of the reservoir sites has been declining since records began in 2004. Returning the historic fish and attracting hundreds of manatees to Silver Springs will boost visitor counts and revitalize the Silver Springs community.” – Chris Spontak, President, Silver Springs Alliance.
Tourism: “The Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam eliminated 16 miles of the natural Ocklawaha River. My boat passengers want to see a healthy, natural waterway and the creatures that inhabit them. The dam has created an unreliable recreational resource that is often impassable by boat due to invasive aquatic plants.”- Karen Chadwick, River Guide, NorthStar Charters
Water: “Ocklawaha River restoration would increase freshwater flows in the Lower Ocklawaha and St. John Rivers by millions of gallons a day due to less evaporation off the artificial pool and uncovering of more than 20 springs flooded by the Rodman Dam.” – James Gross, geologist and Executive Director of Florida Defenders of the Environment.
Wildlife: “On behalf of hikers, paddlers and conservationists, the Sierra Club is committed to restoration of the natural flow of the Ocklawaha. In the words of Whitey Markle “the poor old Ocklawaha’ is due the attention it has deserved and has been left without for far too long.” – Cris Costello, Organizing Manager, Sierra Club
Natural gas development and Power Generation threatens clean drinking water and recreation
Contact:
Sean Jackson, American Rivers, 717-858-3671
Scott Taylor, Protect Elizabeth Township, 412-275-0011
Eric Harder, Youghiogheny Riverkeeper, (724) 455-4200 #2
Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Lower Youghiogheny River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, citing the looming threat of destructive Unconventional Natural Gas drilling (‘fracking’) operations and proposed power generation facilities to water quality and river health. American Rivers and its partners urged Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to take immediate action to protect the Youghiogheny River’s natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic values, and preserve the economic and environmental benefits this river provides to the entire Western Pennsylvania region.
“America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action,” said Sean Jackson of American Rivers. “The Lower Yough is one of our state’s greatest natural treasures. Local communities, families, and visitors depend on this river for its clean drinking water and endless recreational opportunities. Fracking puts all of this at risk. The fate of the river and its communities are in Governor Wolf’s hands.”
A vast network of large-scale drilling pads, wells, storage tanks, and pipelines are being built along both sides of the river’s steep terrain. Up to 4 million gallons of water is being drawn from the river per day to feed these wells, and unknown amounts of toxic waste from natural gas drilling is being discharged into nearby streams, yet operations continue despite dozens of unresolved state permitting violations. Overriding the objections of most residents, one local government, Elizabeth Township, has rezoned a 147-acre parcel of rural and conservation land next to the Youghiogheny River and Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail for the purpose of building a 550-Megawatt Electric Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant. Elevated temperature waste water and unknown amounts of toxic discharge from the power plant into the river is projected to be thousands of gallons daily.
American Rivers and its partners appealed to Governor Wolf and his administration to take decisive steps to halt the threat to the Lower Youghiogheny. Requested actions include suspending permits pending resolution of outstanding violations, requiring thorough environmental reviews conducted by independent entities, and providing full public transparency of proposals and public forums in advance of any official decision-making.
“Governor Wolf must direct his agencies and officials to weigh the irrevocable harm of situating a massive natural gas industrial operation in the heart of Western Pennsylvania’s premier recreational waterway,” said Jackson.
“This is like David versus Goliath, Big Industry with deep pockets versus the local citizens and their financially strained local governments. There is such a flurry of permitting and rezoning activity, so many environmental violations and concerns, it’s time to pause and assess the impacts to our communities and our health,” said Scott Taylor with Protect Elizabeth Township.
“Residents have repeatedly called on decisionmakers to slow the momentum of rezoning and permitting by engaging in thoughtful landscape-scale environmental impact assessments, but our pleas have so far been ignored,” said Taylor.
The Youghiogheny River, known as the ‘Yough’, flows 134 miles north from West Virginia and Maryland to Western Pennsylvania, where it empties into the Monongahela River in McKeesport. Downstream from the river’s whitewater rapids, the Youghiogheny flows quietly through the Appalachian ridges parallel to the (GAP) trail, passing wooded riverbanks, farmlands, small towns and riverside parks.
The annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers report is a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers’ fates. Over the years, the report has helped spur many successes including the removal of outdated dams, the protection of rivers with Wild and Scenic designations, and the prevention of harmful development and pollution.
Other rivers in the region listed as most endangered in past years include the Monongahela River (2010), Laurel Hill Creek (2009), Potomac River (2012), Susquehanna River (2016, 2011, 2005 & 1993), and the Delaware River (2010 & 2007).
AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020
#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)
Threat: Climate change, poor flood management
#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)
Threat: Climate change, poor flood management
#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)
Threat: Yazoo pumps project
#4: Puyallup River (Washington)
Threat: Electron Dam
#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)
Threat: Gold mine
#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)
Threat: Open pit sulfide mining
#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)
Threat: Gold mining
#8: Okefenokee Swamp (Georgia, Florida)
Threat: Titanium mining
#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)
Threat: Rodman Dam
#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)
Threat: Natural gas development
River of the Year: Delaware River (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland)
Honored as a national success story for restoration and a model for equitable and innovative clean water solutions.
American Rivers and River Network call for ban on water shut-offs and restoration of water services for the duration of the coronavirus public health emergency, investment in critical water infrastructure
March 27, 2020
Contact:
Destinee Henton, American Rivers, 216-400-8572
Sheyda Esnaashari, River Network, 612-512-4591
Read the policy statement
As the coronavirus pandemic threatens communities nationwide, American Rivers and River Network today called on Congress to act immediately to ensure safe, clean, affordable water for all.
“Access to clean water is vital to preventing the spread of this virus and protecting our families and communities. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to intensify, the intersection of water and public health is more apparent than ever,” said Destinee Henton, Associate Director for Clean Water Supply at American Rivers.
“Through this time of crisis, we must begin building the just and equitable society we all wish to see,” said Sheyda Esnaashari, Drinking Water Program Manager at River Network. “Too many people in our country lack access to clean water, and too many people continue to have their water shut off for late or non-payment. For the sake of our health, economy and communities, Congress must take steps now to change this.”
American Rivers and River Network called on Congress to take the following actions for the duration of the coronavirus public health emergency:
- Ban involuntary water shutoffs nationwide.
- Mandate safe restoration of water services for all without access.
- Prioritize water infrastructure funding to communities most in need of critical water infrastructure investments.
- Increase and sustain water infrastructure funding in general for water systems to ensure safe and affordable water and sanitation for all Americans at all times.
Roughly one million people in our country lack access to indoor plumbing and more than 13 million U.S. households regularly face unaffordable water bills. These numbers disproportionately represent low-income and communities of color. Tribal or Indigenous communities and undocumented immigrant communities are disproportionately impacted, with limited access to clean, safe and affordable water. At the same time, water utilities nationwide are struggling to fund maintenance or replacement of aging infrastructure.
“This pandemic is exposing longstanding injustices and inequities when it comes to our water infrastructure,” said Henton. “Community-led frontline organizations are leading the effort for clean water, but they need action and support at the federal level. It’s time to ensure all communities receive clean, safe and affordable water regardless of race, class, immigration status or otherwise during this unprecedented crisis.”
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American Rivers statement
March 13, 2020
Contact: Scott Bosse, 406-570-0455, sbosse@americanrivers.org
Helena, MT – The Montana Department of Environmental Quality today released its long-awaited final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Black Butte Copper Mine in the headwaters of the Smith River. The EIS concluded that the mine could be built without significantly harming local waterways and aquatic life, a conclusion that is sharply contested by conservation groups and scientists who have examined the project.
Scott Bosse, American Rivers’ Northern Rockies Director based in Bozeman, made the following statement:
“American Rivers joins thousands of Montanans in expressing our deep disappointment with this decision, which ignores the findings of top experts who concluded that the Black Butte Copper Mine poses a serious threat to Sheep Creek and the Smith River. Mining has its place in Montana, but not in the headwaters of one of our most beloved rivers. We intend to challenge this decision.”
American Rivers listed the Smith River in our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® reports in 2015, 2016 and 2018 due to the threats posed by the Black Butte Copper Mine. Those threats include dewatering vital trout spawning tributaries and polluting Sheep Creek and the Smith River with toxic heavy metals and acid mine drainage, which lasts in perpetuity. The Black Butte Copper Mine is being proposed by Sandfire Resources America, which is controlled by Perth, Australia based Sandfire Resources.
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Upthegrove votes to save one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers
March 10, 2020
Contact: Brandon Parsons (512) 517-4001
Seattle – American Rivers today praised the King County Flood Control District and Council Member Dave Upthegrove for voting to approve a forward-thinking vision to safeguard communities from flooding while simultaneously supporting other community needs including salmon and orca recovery in the Green-Duwamish River.
The adoption of a supplemental budget today solidifies this vision by doubling investments in salmon recovery, prioritizing multiple benefit projects and creating new grant programs to support urban streams, coastal erosion, and barriers to fish passage throughout all parts of the county.
In April 2019, American Rivers named the Green-Duwamish among America’s Most Endangered Rivers because of the threat that outdated flood management poses to salmon, wildlife and communities. In January, Council Member Upthegrove was appointed Chair of the Flood Control District, and pledged to oversee major reforms at the Flood Control District that are critical to saving the Green-Duwamish.
Reforms are intended to accomplish two fundamental goals:
- Strengthen the District’s commitment to habitat, salmon and Orca recovery, and other environmental benefits.
- Provide more opportunities for areas outside of major river corridors to benefit from the work of the district.
The District’s new budget contains critical funding priorities, including:
- Double funding for salmon recovery – from $4.8M to $9.6M.
- Providing new ongoing funding to address urban streams, barriers to fish passage and coastal erosion throughout all parts of the County.
Funding two immediate projects that provide essential fish habitat and enhanced flood protection.
More than $163 million has been invested to restore salmon habitat in the Green-Duwamish alone and over $1 billion will be invested in the Duwamish clean-up, fish passage at Howard Hanson Dam, and Lower Green River Corridor Flood Hazard Management Plan over the next 50 years. King County has committed to invest an additional $6 billion in the next decade to unify efforts to protect clean water and habitat throughout the region. Aligning the Flood Control District’s work with these existing programs is essential to tackling King County’s most complex environmental problems and is a smart use of taxpayer dollars.
Wendy McDermott, Director of the Puget Sound and Columbia River Basins at American Rivers, made the following statement:
“This is a major step forward for this endangered river, and it’s the kind of vision that could make the King County Flood Control District a national leader in innovative flood protection efforts. With river health at risk, salmon runs struggling and climate change adding new challenges, we must increase investments in salmon recovery and embrace multi-benefit flood protection solutions that restore habitat and protect water quality. We applaud Councilman Upthegrove for committing to these worthy goals.”
Read about the Green-Duwamish listing in America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2019: https://endangeredrivers.americanrivers.org/green-duwamish-river/
Northwest needs new thinking, collaborative solutions
February 25, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Portland – This Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration will release a draft environmental impact statement addressing the latest plan for operations of the hydropower dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Five plans have failed already, rejected by courts as illegal and inadequate for saving endangered salmon, and the same fate likely awaits this one.
Wendy McDermott with American Rivers released the following statement:
“Salmon-dependent communities across the Pacific Northwest feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, reliving the same day over and over again. Here in the Northwest, we’re looking at yet another Snake River salmon recovery plan that will almost certainly fail and is unlikely to survive legal challenge. We’ve been at this for more than 20 years. With salmon facing extinction, isn’t it time for new solutions?”
“You can’t solve a problem if you are not analyzing the right questions to begin with. This environmental impact statement was never designed to address the complex challenges facing our region. It will not provide a comprehensive solution for our salmon, energy and agriculture needs, nor will it address how the federal government will uphold its obligation to Columbia River treaty tribes. But that’s the conversation that communities that depend on the benefits the Columbia and Snake Rivers are ready to have.”
We need to think bigger and more holistically. The region’s governors are spurring important dialogue about how we might reimagine our relationship with the Columbia and Snake rivers and ensure a future of abundant salmon, clean affordable energy and thriving agriculture. Key members of the Northwest Congressional delegation, who ultimately will need to craft a comprehensive legislative solution, are also supporting constructive conversations. We must keep these conversations going with an eye to inclusive solutions that move everyone forward together.”
“We share common values, and we can work together to address everyone’s needs. That’s why farmers are speaking up for salmon recovery. Fishermen are supporting upgrades to grain transportation. Businesses want investments in clean energy. We must focus on what connects us and commit to meeting the region’s energy, agricultural and conservation challenges together.”
February 16, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Portland — Oregon has a distinguished reputation as a leader in protecting and restoring healthy rivers and wild salmon, and Governor Kate Brown continues to uphold and strengthen this legacy. Her February 11 letter to Washington Governor Jay Inslee demonstrates her strong commitment to recovering healthy, harvestable wild salmon in the Columbia-Snake rivers to benefit endangered Southern Resident orcas, and her leadership toward an inclusive regional solution that prioritizes clean, affordable energy and investments in agriculture and transportation infrastructure.
Wendy McDermott, Northwest Director for American Rivers made the following statement:
“Governor Brown is standing up for all of Oregon’s businesses, families and rural communities that depend on healthy, harvestable salmon runs. Her leadership has made Oregon a linchpin in achieving a comprehensive, lasting solution on the Columbia-Snake and for all of the communities that depend on these rivers.”
“Big, bold thinking has always defined our region. We need to tap into this same spirit to build the Pacific Northwest of the future with clean, affordable energy, thriving agriculture and abundant salmon. Governor Brown, Governor Inslee and our other Northwest leaders are vital to achieving this vision.”
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February 13, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday voted to protect more than 1,000 miles of rivers with Wild and Scenic River designations. The public lands legislation, Protecting America’s Wilderness Act (H.R. 2546), includes Wild and Scenic safeguards for rivers including the San Gabriel and important portions of the Trinity River watershed in California and the Queets, Sol Duc, and Elwha in Washington.
Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“Clean, free-flowing rivers are vital for our drinking water supplies, strong local economies and a vibrant outdoor recreation industry. We applaud the House for its action, and thank Representative Huffman (CA-2), Representative Judy Chu (CA-27), Representative Carbajal (CA-24), and Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-6) for their leadership. We look forward to seeing the U.S. Senate take up these bills to protect outstanding rivers.”
“Protecting Wild and Scenic Rivers is an investment in our communities and our future. Every mile protected means cleaner water, more abundant wildlife, and more opportunities for people to connect with the outdoors.”
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90 Dams Removed Last Year to Revive Rivers and Strengthen Communities
February 13, 2020
Contact: Jessie Thomas-Blate, 609-658-4769; Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Video: dam removal in the U.S.
List of dams removed in 2019
Database of all dam removals
Map of all dam removals
(Washington) – A record 26 states participated in removing dams to restore rivers in 2019, reviving ecosystems and communities across the nation, American Rivers announced today.
Ninety dams were removed in 2019, improving public safety for local communities and restoring fish, wildlife and river health. Communities in 26 states, working in partnership with non-profit organizations and state and federal agencies, removed the dams to reconnect more than 973 upstream river miles.
“More states than ever saw dam removals last year, which means more states than ever are seeing the benefits of healthy, free-flowing rivers,” said Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers.
“As we celebrate the progress made last year, we are working with our partners to grow the river restoration movement and accelerate the pace of dam removal nationwide. With floods and droughts increasing with climate change and many populations of fish and wildlife in decline, healthy free-flowing rivers have never been more important to our well-being and our future.”
Dams were removed in the following states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
In 2019, with the removal of 20 dams in the Cleveland National Forest alone, California had the highest number of dam removals for the second year in a row. The top four states removing dams in 2019 were:
- California – 23 dams removed
- Pennsylvania – 14 dams removed
- New Hampshire – 6 dams removed
- Vermont – 6 dams removed
American Rivers maintains the database of dam removals in the United States. It includes information on 1,722 dams that have been removed across the country since 1912. Most of those dams (1,476) were removed in the past 30 years.
One of the most cost-effective ways to deal with outdated, unsafe dams is to remove them. Removing dams allows rivers to flow naturally, which can have benefits for water quality, flood protection, fish and wildlife habitat, ecosystem health and recreation.
Factors that contributed to record state participation in dam removal and river restoration projects in 2019 include increased awareness about the ecological and community benefits of removing dams; efforts by American Rivers and others to train organizations and increase capacity to manage dam removal projects; and the cost of maintaining aging dams, which pose liability and safety hazards for their owners.
As part of its Free Rivers campaign, American Rivers released River Restoration Tools and Resources, a compilation of tools to aid practitioners and river advocates. Together with partners, American Rivers is scheduling workshops to bring together leading dam removal experts to create a vision and shared plan of action for river restoration nationwide.
HIGHLIGHTS OF DAM REMOVAL AND RIVER RESTORATION EFFORTS IN 2019 INCLUDE:
Howle and Turner Dam, Tallapoosa River, Alabama
In June 2019, Howle and Turner Dam was removed to improve water quality and create habitat for rare mussel species such as fine-lined pocketbook and delicate spike. The 16-foot high by 100-foot wide concrete and steel dam was located on the Tallapoosa River. The dam, originally built in 1935 to power a grist mill and cotton gin, outlived its original purpose. This project was the result of a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife program and the Alabama Rivers and Streams Network. The Service coordinated the pre-restoration planning and worked with their Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation Aquatic Habitat Restoration Team to carry out the demolition and restoration of the river channel.
Contact: Eric Spadgenske, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 251-441-5872, eric_spadgenske@fws.gov
Saccarappa Dams 1 and 2, Presumpscot River, Maine
This project included the removal of two separate, adjacent dams on the Presumpscot River, both originally built in 1911 for hydroelectric power— the Saccarappa Dam 1 (12-foot tall by 239-foot long) and the Saccarappa Dam 2 (12-foot tall by 154-foot long). The goals of this project were the restoration of fish passage and productivity of fish populations, as well as improvements in the downtown area through expansion of the River Walk. Restoring the productivity of the fish populations in the Presumpscot is vital not just for those who fish along the river, but also for the health of the fishing industry in Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine. Migratory fish found in the Presumpscot, including alewives and bluebacks, are critical bait for the lobster fishery and key to the entire food system. The removal of these dams opens up the longest and cleanest stretch of riverway in the most densely populated area of the state for the first time in two centuries and will greatly enhance the economic and recreational value of the river.
Contact: Barry Stemm, Sappi North America, 207-856-4584, barry.stemm@sappi.com
Jordan’s Point Dam, Maury River, Virginia
Jordan’s Point Dam (10-foot high by 180-foot wide) was a concrete dam built in 1911 in Lexington, VA on the Maury River. The dam had been a safety concern for the community since 2006, when a teenager drowned going over the dam into the hydraulic current. Prior to deconstruction, it was structurally compromised with many cracks, and had outlived its purpose of powering various mill operations. When the dam was first breached and the water level lowered during its removal, another timber crib dam was revealed and subsequently removed. This project improved river health and restored habitat along 1.2 miles of the Maury River. Additionally, the project removed a significant safety hazard and is expected to greatly benefit recreation and boost visitation to City Park.
Contact: Louise Finger, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 540-248-9378,louise.finger@dgif.virginia.gov
Cleveland National Forest Dam Removals, San Juan Creek, Holy Jim Creek and Silverado Creek, California:https://www.americanrivers.org/2019/09/a-programmatic-approach-to-dam-removal-and-river-restoration-cleveland-national-forest-ca/
Congaree Creek Dam, Congaree Creek, South Carolina:https://www.americanrivers.org/2019/11/congaree-creek-flowing-free-thanks-to-dam-removal/
Upper Eaton Dam and Lower Eaton Dam, First Branch White River, Vermont:https://www.americanrivers.org/2020/02/busting-dams-on-vermonts-white-river/
Scotland Pond Dam, Conococheague Creek, Pennsylvania:https://www.americanrivers.org/2020/02/cheers-to-greene-township-on-scotland-pond-dam-removal/
Statement of American Rivers President and CEO Bob Irvin
February 4, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that his water team has proposed a new framework for reaching an agreement among California cities, farms and conservation interests to restore fish and wildlife in the San Francisco Bay-Delta and its tributaries.
The proposal establishes a framework for Voluntary Agreements among water interests to work collaboratively to increase instream flows in the Sacramento/San Joaquin river system and the Delta, restore thousands of acres of habitat for fish and wildlife, and establish a science program to ensure results and help address scientific uncertainties. If successfully completed, the Voluntary Agreements would be evaluated by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, and if deemed adequate the SWRCB would adopt the VAs as part of the updated Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, mandated by the federal Clean Water Act and the state law to protect the beneficial uses of the Bay-Delta.
The framework and Voluntary Agreements are intended to break the logjam of rancorous debate and litigation that has frustrated state objectives to restore the ecological health of the Sacramento/San Joaquin and the Bay Delta, save the system’s critically endangered fish, and secure reliable water supplies for municipal and agricultural use. Since the adoption of the current Water Quality Control Plan, salmon and other native fish have continued to decline. Consequently, American Rivers believes it is time to try a new approach to protect the Bay-Delta.
Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers made the following statement:
“The framework announced by Governor Newsom is a promising step to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta system. With the prospect of years of litigation over a new Bay-Delta Plan and potentially decades of water rights adjudications, the people and the fish and wildlife of the Central Valley and the Bay Delta can’t afford to wait while the ecosystem continues to decline. While there remain significant and complicated issues to be resolved, we believe the framework for Voluntary Agreements has a much better chance of significantly improving conditions on a meaningful timeline for the people, fish and wildlife of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta system.”
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January 23, 2020
Contact: Chris Williams, 202-347-7550
The Trump Administration today announced the release of its Revised Definition of the Waters of the United States, a sweeping federal rule that drastically weakens the reach and authority of the Clean Water Act to protect the Nation’s rivers, small streams and wetlands.
In 2001 and 2006, two convoluted Supreme Court rulings created uncertainty about the extent of the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction. The Obama administration engaged in a lengthy rulemaking process to clarify the authority of the Act to protect small streams and wetlands that are so important to river health and contribute to the drinking water supplies of two in three Americans. Following years of painstaking scientific, economic and legal analysis, hundreds of public meetings, and a comment period that produced over a million comments, the “Clean Water Rule” was adopted in 2015, reaffirming the Act’s broad authority “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”
The Trump administration’s rule replaces the Clean Water Rule, undermining protection of rivers, wetlands, and clean water. It uproots decades of regulatory practice and judicial precedent with little public input and virtually no scientific analysis. It is setting aside the findings of over 1,200 peer-reviewed studies, collected in EPA’s own Connectivity Report, that demonstrate the vital importance of small streams and wetlands to the water quality, flow, and overall ecological health of larger rivers downstream. The rule deals a crippling blow to the Act’s authority to protect wetlands, excluding more than half of the nation’s wetlands from the Clean Water Act’s reach, and eliminating protection for almost 20% of the nation’s rivers and streams.
Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers made the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s Revised Definition of the Waters of the United States:
“The Trump administration’s Dirty Water Rule is an affront to the health and safety of hundreds of millions of people across the country who depend on rivers and streams for clean water. It is reckless and capricious, reversing the Clean Water Rule which was firmly based on sound legal and scientific analyses, extensive fact-finding and stakeholder input, and broad popular support.
President Trump has frequently said he wants ‘crystal clean water.’ This rule will result in dirty water, plain and simple.”
January 9, 2020
Contact: Sinjin Eberle, 720-373-0864
The Trump Administration today announced plans to significantly weaken implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), one of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws. Enacted in 1970, NEPA requires that federal agencies assess the environmental impacts of any federal or federally-funded project, such as the construction of a major pipeline or highway, and that the agency consider reasonable alternatives to the project as proposed that would reduce those impacts. The law’s requirements that the public be informed of the assessment and allowed to comment provide powerful opportunities for individuals and communities to voice concerns and provide input into agency decision-making. The Trump Administration’s proposed changes would undermine virtually every aspect of the Act.
Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers made the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s proposed changes to implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act:
“The National Environmental Policy Act tells us to “Look before you leap.” The Trump administration wants us to bury our heads in the sand and ignore potential harm to the water we drink and the air we breathe.
NEPA is a cornerstone environmental law, based on the common-sense notion that, before we build a highway through a neighborhood or permit a new power plant that pollutes our air and water, we should know the impacts that these federal projects and actions will have on the nation’s land, air, and water, and consider less harmful alternatives. The Trump administration’s proposals to hamstring the law – curtailing public participation, redefining “major federal action” to eliminate NEPA review of a huge swath of federally funded and permitted activities, ending the requirement to consider the cumulative impacts of multiple projects, allowing federal agencies to completely ignore climate change – defy common sense.
For fifty years, NEPA has prevented immeasurable damage to America’s environment and the health of our citizens. We will fight this effort to undermine those protections.”