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.