Removing Dams Restores Streams, Benefits Wildlife
Andrea Sears, Producer
Thursday, October 15, 2015
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A project to remove some of the many dams in Connecticut is restoring streams and helping migratory fish return to their old spawning grounds.
There are more than 5,000 dams in the state, some more than 200 years old.
Sally Harold, director of river restoration and fish passage projects for the Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, says many of those dams, once used to power mills, have had a serious impact on fish species that are an important part of the food chain.
"Removing dams and re-establishing connections to these upstream habitats can be a life link, helping to increase the amount of habitat that's available for reproduction," she points out.
Where dams still serve a useful purpose, fish ladders or alternative channels are being built to aid fish on their way upstream.
Most of the dams in Connecticut are privately owned. As Harold points out, maintenance can be costly, and failure to keep a dam in good condition carries risks.
"A dam that isn't maintained and continues to age could at some point fail catastrophically, and so those owners, they're responsible for damages that happen downstream because of that failure," she explains.
The state and conservation groups such as The Nature Conservancy are working with landowners, educating them about the necessity of maintenance and the benefits of dam removal.
The removals are being funded in part by federal dollars made available after Hurricane Sandy for restoration projects.
Harold says those projects are an important part of conservation efforts in the state.
"We've become accustomed to protecting lands, and we need to also focus on protecting our rivers for the many benefits that they provide to biodiversity in Connecticut," she stresses.
Similar dam removal projects are underway throughout New England.
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