In 2022, crews removed an 8-foot dam from Californias Cedar Creek, reopening 9 miles of habitat; 34 juvenile coho were counted in 2023

Representative image of dam removal and river restoration, reopening freshwater habitat for migrating salmon and supporting the return of juvenile coho. (AI-generated/ ChatGPT)

In the western US, old dams have hindered the natural migration of salmon and steelhead, making it harder for them to reproduce successfully. This is evidenced by the case study in California where a small dam was removed from Cedar Creek. In 2022, California Trout (CalTrout), in partnership, pulled down a concrete dam measuring 8 … Read more

After Maryland removed Bloede Dam in 2018, herring DNA appeared upstream; biologists recorded two adult herring there in 2021, after over a century

HT US Desk

The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social … Read more

Maryland replaced a 4-foot dam at Bishopville with pools and weirs, opening 7 miles of habitat; alewives were spotted upstream

Replacing a four-foot dam on Bunting’s Branch with a natural stream channel and wetlands opened seven miles of habitat for alewives, herring, and eels. Image for representational purposes. (Pexels)

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem might just be to take something away. That’s what happened in Bishopville, Maryland. A 2015 news release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources explained that a four-foot sheet metal dam was replaced by 635 linear feet of stable stream channel and wetland habitat. The project spanned … Read more

On Washingtons Orcas Island, a small dam blocked fish; a larger culvert opened 1,584 feet of stream, and salmon were found upstream within a year

HT US Desk

The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social … Read more

A Vermont farmer built a dam in the 1950s; its 2022 removal restored the farm creeks floodplain to slow stormwater flowing into Lake Champlain

A dam built in the early 1950s for an irrigation pond came out in 2022, and the valley below was reshaped into a wide floodplain and wetland. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Anyone who’s seen a street flood after a heavy storm knows just how quickly water can move when it has nowhere to go. That was the problem with a small Vermont creek for decades. The fix began with taking something out. According to the Vermont Land Trust, a dairy farmer in Colchester built an earthen … Read more

A Pennsylvania landowners 7-foot stone dam was built as a swimming hole; removal aimed to improve Smithtown Creeks water quality and fish habitat

Pennsylvania removed the 7-foot Lochner Dam in 2006, but a downstream barrier continued to block migratory fish. The project was part of a broader national trend: 2,119 dams were removed from 1912 to 2023, including 390 in Pennsylvania. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Lochner Dam, built to create a swimming hole, is not what most people picture when they think of river restoration. However, that is precisely what happened with the Lochner Dam, which used to exist on Smithtown Creek, a Delaware River tributary in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. According to the Dam Removal Summary 2023 by American Rivers, … Read more

A New Hampshire dam built in 1929 to power one sawmill outlived the mill by decades; its 2024 removal reopened nearly 40 miles of brook trout habitat

With the dam gone, the river runs free again, and brook trout have access to cold, clean upstream water. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Some old structures just refuse to go away. One stood in a river in Colebrook, New Hampshire, for 95 years. According to a January 2025 story from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the complete removal of the Washburn Mill Dam in October 2024 has restored access to nearly 40 miles of excellent brook trout … Read more

In 1927, Wisconsin decided to re-flood farmland that had replaced Horicon Marsh; a new dam revived a wetland that hosts up to 200,000 geese each fall

From a drained and abandoned marsh to a refuge for wildlife, the comeback took decades. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

Wetlands don’t often get second chances, but Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin did. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources describes its history as a change from wetland to wasteland and back again. The marsh now covers about 32,000 acres, and huge flocks of geese stop there each fall. It was the result of decades of work … Read more

McLeod Dam update: Which Dona Ana County areas are at risk as dam failure looms? Flash Flood Emergency issued

Representational. (Unsplash)

Evacuations have been ordered in Dona Ana County, New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon as officials fear the McLeod Dam could fail soon amid rising water pressure. Representational. (Unsplash) A flash flood emergency was issued by the National Weather Service for parts of Dona Ana County as the McLeod Dam failure was “imminent”. The emergency, which … Read more

In 2024, California removed an 18-foot dam from Neefus Gulch and restored 1,600 feet of stream; by January 2026, 8 spawning nests were recorded above barriers salmon had been unable to pass for 70+ years

In 2024, California removed an 18-foot dam from Neefus Gulch and restored 1,600 feet of stream; by January 2026, 8 spawning nests were recorded above barriers salmon had been unable to pass for 70+ years

In 2024, California removed an 18-foot dam from Neefus Gulch and restored 1,600 feet of stream, reopening habitat that salmon had been unable to reach for more than seven decades. By January 2026, surveys recorded eight spawning nests, known as redds, in the newly accessible reaches above the former barrier, a sign that endangered Central … Read more