Publications, Videos, and other Educational Materials

TU's national office supports local efforts to restore rivers and streams through selective small dam removal by providing information and educational materials. Unless otherwise indicated, these materials are suitable for anyone concerned with healthy rivers and river communities, including dam owners, natural resource managers, civic and business leaders, elected officials and other decision-makers, community planners, conservation and environmental organizations, and concerned citizens. To request copies of these materials, e-mail restorerivers@tu.org [1].

Dam Removal Success Stories: Restoring Rivers Through Selective Removal of Dams that Don't Make Sense (December 1999)

Removing dams is not new and radical. Natural resources, communities, and dam owners have all benefited from dam removals. This publication documents 467 dam removals from around the United States and contains 25 cases studies, detailing such aspects as the impacts of the dam prior to removal, the removal decision process, restoration of the river, the significance and benefits of the removal, and "before-and-after" photos.

Download this publication now [2]  [3] (*Large file - 7MB*).

Dam Removal: A Citizen's Guide to Restoring Rivers (November 2000)

Citizen advocates continue to play an important role in restoring rivers and streams. This guide helps citizens and citizen groups through all aspects of a campaign to restore a fishery or river by removing a small dam. It includes sections on working with communities, dam owners, resource agencies, contractors, legislative bodies, and the resource itself. The publication was written and produced in collaboration with the River Alliance of Wisconsin.

Taking a Second Look: Communities and Dam Removal (December 2000)

Hundreds of communities have struggled through a decision to repair or remove a small dam. This 20-minute video allows communities to hear from others who have been through the process of removing a small dam. The video includes footage and commentary from three dam removal/river restoration success stories in West Bend, Wisconsin; South Lake Tahoe, California; and Augusta, Maine.

Small Dam Removal: A Review of Potential Economic Benefits (October 2001)

This publication reviews potential economic benefits associated with selective small dam removal, detailing typical cost savings of removal versus repair, potential for improved recreational opportunities and associated tourism, potential for community revitalization, and potential effects of dam removal and river restoration on property values.

Exploring Dam Removal: A Decision-making Guide (Spring 2002)

This publication explores the broad range of issues one might consider when determining whether or not to remove a dam, and is intended to serve as a decision-making aid for resource managers, dam owners, and communities.

Removing Small Dams: A Practical Guide to Engineering and Other Scientific Considerations (Fall 2002)

Although more than 500 dams have been removed in the United States in the last century, there is relatively little published information available to guide resource managers and consultants through a small dam removal project. This publication draws on the experiences of leading resource professionals, involved with more than 50 dam removals around the country, to review the current state of the science. The document focuses on topics such as sediment management, channel reconstruction, removal of structures, protecting aquatic life, revegetation, and permitting.