Big Year for Dam Removals in 2024

The investment in our nation’s infrastructure in recent years is paying off. In 2024, we finally saw a rebound to pre-pandemic levels of dams removed across the country, with 108 dams demolished. Seeing momentum building once again for reconnecting and restoring rivers brings hope during an otherwise challenging time.

This year we saw excellent work happening across 27 states. More than 2,528 miles of river were reconnected across the country. This is fantastic news for our local communities, who benefit from safer places to recreate without the looming threat of a dam failure.

Those numbers include 400 miles of river reconnected in the biggest collective dam removal project in the country on California’s Klamath River. The Copco 1 Dam, Copco 2 Dam, Iron Gate Dam, and John C. Boyle Dam are no more, thanks to the tireless efforts of tribes and partners on the ground.

California is not the only state with multi-dam removal efforts happening along a particular river. In Pennsylvania, two six-dam removal projects happened in 2024 — this has helped keep Pennsylvania as the leader in dam removal, with 27 dams removed last year! Other states knocking them down in 2024 included Michigan (10 removals), Minnesota (7), and Virginia (7).

Altona Dam before and after removal, Little Muskegon River, Michigan | Paul Haan

Examples include:

• The Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, removed the first of a series of nine planned dam removals on the Fox River, starting with Carpentersville Dam in 2024.
• The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey removed Paulina Dam on the Paulins Kill River—the final piece of a four-dam removal puzzle to reconnect 45 miles of river for migratory fish, including American shad, American eel, and sea lamprey.
• Wildlands Conservancy continues to bust barriers on Bushkill Creek in Pennsylvania by removing the City of Easton Lower Dam in 2024.
• Green River Lock and Dam No. 5 was removed by The Nature Conservancy in Kentucky, building upon the previous removal of Dam No. 6 in 2017.
• The Warren Water Works Summit Street Dam was removed from Ohio’s Mahoning River as part of a large, regional effort to remove low head dams and restore water quality and habitat.

The list goes on. Focusing on reconnecting rivers through a series of removals maximizes the impact of a single project, providing even greater benefits for community safety and river health.

College Lake Dam before and after removal, Blackwater Creek, Virginia | Brandon Alderman

Here comes the challenge: these projects have major benefits—from fish passage to removing stagnant dead zones to making rivers safer for paddlers and swimmers and more— but they come at a financial cost. Removing 108 dams in 2024 cost tens of millions of dollars. Some dams can be removed for tens of thousands of dollars, but most cost between $250,000 to $500,000. Most individual dam owners cannot shoulder that cost on their own, hey need help from the broader community. In many cases this means removing dams that were built a century or more ago. Three of the dams removed in 2024 were built in the 1700s! These structures were never intended to last forever, but it takes all of us coming together to build a healthier future for our rivers and communities.

We need your help. We need you to reach out to your legislators and tell them that funding for river restoration and clean water are important to you! Tell them that you want our country to invest in healthy rivers for future generations. As we say, Life Depends on Rivers. We need you to lend your voice so that elected officials know that people value healthy rivers. If we do not prioritize removing dams in a controlled way, they will remove themselves and it will not be fun for anyone. If you’re wondering if there are any dams near you, check out the National Aquatic Barrier Inventory and Prioritization Tool. Then take action to support removing dams in your community!

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about some of the great projects completed in 2024, check out our annual summary!