United States Society on Dams Guidelines for Dam Decommissioning Projects July 2015 Prepared by the USSD Committee on Dam Decommissioning U.S. Society on Dams Vision A world class organization dedicated to advancing the role of dam and levee systems and building the community of practice. Mission USSD, as the United States member of the International Commission on Large Dams, is dedicated to: ADVOCATE: Champion the role of dam and levee systems in society. EDUCATE: Be the premier source for technical information about dam and levee systems. COLLABORATE: Build networks and relationships to strengthen the community of practice. CULTIVATE: Nurture the growth of the community of practice. The information contained in this report regarding commercial products or firms may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes and may not be construed as an endorsement of any product or firm by the United States Society on Dams. USSD accepts no responsibility for the statements made or the opinions expressed in this publication. Copyright © 2015 U. S. Society on Dams Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-1-884575-71-6 U.S. Society on Dams 1616 Seventeenth Street, #483 Denver, CO 80202 Telephone: 303-628-5430 Fax: 303-628-5431 E-mail:
[email protected] Internet: www.ussdams.org FOREWORD The primary objective of these Guidelines for Dam Decommissioning Projects is to provide dam owners, dam engineers, and other professionals with the information necessary to help guide decision-making when considering dam removal as a project alternative. If selected as the preferred alternative, these Guidelines may help in the development and execution of a successful dam decommissioning project, which would include all necessary activities associated with the removal of a dam and restoration of the river, from project planning through design and implementation.