Its seems like all around the country, dams are coming down in an effort toward river restoration and more healthful fish stocks. The Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington is the latest to come down, and 60 Minutes brings us footage of the river being freed.
The largest dam removal project in history will burst forward today as engineers cap off a decades-long effort to restore 14 miles of salmon habitat to the White Salmon River. At noon, engineers will blow up the Condit Dam with 700 pounds of TNT.
This fall we are celebrating two major river restoration efforts. The removal of outdated dams on Washington’s Elwha River and White Salmon River will bring the rivers back to life and deliver a wide variety of benefits to local communities.
American Rivers has dubbed 2011 “the year of the river” because of these and other historic river restoration projects. In fact, this year we will reach the significant milestone of 1000 dams removed in the U.S. Explore the links below to learn about the Elwha and White Salmon, and other rivers being restored through dam removal. And, learn about why healthy rivers are so important for our health, economy, and quality of life.
