OOS 39 - Dam Removal: A Synthesis of Existing Science and Its Implications for the Practice

Thursday, August 10, 2017: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
Portland Blrm 254, Oregon Convention Center
Organizer:
Laura Craig, American Rivers
Co-organizer:
Jeffrey Duda, US Geological Survey Biological Resource Division
Moderator:
Jeffrey Duda, US Geological Survey Biological Resource Division
Over the last several decades, dam removal has become an increasingly common approach for restoring rivers. While some dams play an important role in water supply, flood control, or irrigation, many no longer serve their original purpose or have current uses that can be otherwise supported, making them good candidates for removal. Dam removal provides a variety of benefits including restoration of free-flowing conditions, reestablishment of lotic habitat, enhanced connectivity for movement of resident and migratory fauna, and an opportunity for the recovery of natural sediment, flow, temperature, and nutrient processes. This restored ecosystem functioning can increase ecosystem services provided by rivers. Yet, dam removal also has the potential to expose or mobilize significant quantities of sediment, negatively impact aquatic organisms, and facilitate the spread of invasive species. Deciding whether and how to remove a dam requires managers to balance these benefits and risks, and for scientists and practitioners to make informed predictions about how the river will respond to dam removal. This session highlights and synthesizes the growing body of relevant, published science associated with dam removal projects in the United States and abroad. These synthesis efforts have increased our understanding of trends in dam removal science and practice; allow us to predict geomorphic and ecological responses to dam removal; enable scientists to address specific concerns of project managers including reservoir erosion, downstream sedimentation, and the potential spread of invasive species; and help us to identify critical knowledge gaps and research needs for the practice of dam removal.
1:30 PM
 Status and trends of dam removal research in the United States
J. Ryan Bellmore, U.S. Forest Service; Jeffrey Duda, US Geological Survey Biological Resource Division; Laura Craig, American Rivers; Daniel Wieferich, US Geological Survey; Samantha L. Greene, US Geological Survey; Mathias Collins, National Marine Fisheries Service; Christian E. Torgersen, U.S. Geological Survey; Kaherine Vittum, US Geological Survey
1:50 PM
 Geomorphic consequences of dam removal
Jim O'Connor, U.S. Geological Survey; Jon Major, U.S. Geological Survey; Amy East, U.S. Geological Survey; Gordon E. Grant, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service; Andrew Wilcox, University of Montana; Mathias Collins, National Marine Fisheries Service; Francis J Magilligan, Dartmouth College; Chris Magirl, U.S. Geological Survey; Desiree Tullos, Oregon State University; Jennifer Bountry, US Bureau of Reclamation; Timothy J. Randle, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
2:10 PM
 Ecosystem response to dam removal: A synthesis
George Pess, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; J. Ryan Bellmore, US Geological Survey; Jeffrey Duda, US Geological Survey Biological Resource Division; James O'Connor, U.S. Geological Survey; Amy East, U.S. Geological Survey; Melissa M. Foley, University of California Santa Cruz; Andrew Wilcox, University of Montana; Jon Major, U.S. Geological Survey; Patrick B. Shafroth, US Geological Survey; Chris Magirl, U.S. Geological Survey; Chauncey W. Anderson, US Geological Survey; James Evans, Bowling Green State University; Christian E. Torgersen, U.S. Geological Survey
2:30 PM
 Landscape context and the biophysical response of rivers to dam removal in the United States
Melissa M. Foley, University of California Santa Cruz; Francis J. Magilligan, Dartmouth College; Christian E. Torgersen, U.S. Geological Survey; Jon J. Major, U.S. Geological Survey; Chauncey W. Anderson, US Geological Survey; Patrick J. Connolly, US Geological Survey; Daniel J. Wieferich, US Geological Survey; Patrick B. Shafroth, US Geological Survey; James E. Evans, Bowling Green State University; Dana M. Infante, Michigan State University; Laura S. Craig, American Rivers
2:50 PM
 Barrier removal prioritization tools to inform watershed and regional-scale restoration strategies
Tara Moberg, The Nature Conservancy; Erik Martin, The Nature Conservancy; Jessica Levine, The Nature Conservancy
3:10 PM
3:20 PM
 Designing for the predictable geomorphic response in an unpredictable regulatory environment
Paul Woodworth, Princeton Hydro; Laura Wildman, Princeton Hydro
3:40 PM
 Synthesis of common management concerns associated with dam removal
Desiree Tullos, Oregon State University; Mathias Collins, National Marine Fisheries Service; J. Ryan Bellmore, US Geological Survey; Jennifer Bountry, US Bureau of Reclamation; Patrick V. Connolly, US Geological Survey; Patrick B. Shafroth, US Geological Survey; Andrew Wilcox, University of Montana
4:00 PM
 Dam removal in Canada: Similar challenges at every scale
R. Allen Curry, University of New Brunswick; Gordon Yamazaki, University of New Brunswick; Tommi Linnansaari, University of New Brunswick; Wendy A. Monk, University of New Brunswick
4:20 PM
 Is dam removal a well-accepted practice in Taiwan
Hsiao-Wen Wang, National Cheng Kung University
4:40 PM
 The future of dam removal
Serena McClain, American Rivers