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Dam Removal by David Sparks Ph.D. Sportsman Spotlight, September 14, 2021

It's not without peril. But I'm telling you right now, it's the way to go.
Free the Snake and let these rivers behave as they should be.

Passionate conservationist Josh Mills argues that a lot of dams are unnecessary and only contribute to the demise of salmon and steelhead populations.

We just have to look beyond what is there to get over the fear of loss and think there could be so much more for the region. We only have to look at every other dam removal project that has happened, whether that's the Penobscot and the Kennebec in Maine and Massachusetts or wherever those are at.

You look at what's happened on the Elwha with the rebuilding there. I mean, last year they basically the Phoenix of the are steelhead on that river. Trout had turned back into their anadromous form going up the ocean. And they last year they counted over a thousand returning adult summer steelhead on the Elwha when they had done before.

Miracles happen if we just get out of there stinking way.

And next, we have the Klamath Dam coming down in Oregon and California in the next five to 10 years. And those will be the biggest rehabilitated project. Those used to be the basket of salmon and steelhead in northern California and southern Oregon. And those are coming out.

It's just every time that these dams come out that are derelict and are not serving their purpose, that are not power producing, that are just really derelict old deadbeat dams, a river is reborn, the food web is rebuilt and everything turns back.

It's not without peril. But I'm telling you right now, it's the way to go. Free the Snake and let these rivers behave as they should be.

There are alternative views, but Joshua makes a point.