Dam Removal: A Taxonomy with Implications for Economic Analysis

Abstract

Casual observers of dam removal activity in the United States are most likely familiar with the three most widely publicized removal or proposed removal projects—the Edwards C Dam on the Kennebec River in Maine (removed), the Elwah and Glines Canyon Dams on the Elwah River in Washington (planned) and the proposed removal or breaching of dams on the lower Snake River along the Oregon-Idaho border. While these removal projects involve medium to large scale dams, most of the actual removal activity involves small, run-of-river dams whose economic usefulness has long past (American Rivers et al. 1999). Thus, dam removal involves projects ranging from those with small removal costs and clear, local benefits to high removal costs and uncertain benefits ranging over an entire river basin.