DOCSLIB.ORG

An Analysis of Policy Change on the Rogue River, Oregon

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Analysis of Policy Change on the Rogue River, Oregon Central Washington University ScholarWorks@CWU All Master's Theses Master's Theses Winter 2016 The Life Cycle of Dams: An Analysis of Policy Change on the Rogue River, Oregon Wendy McDermott Central Washington University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd Part of the Hydrology Commons, and the Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons Recommended Citation McDermott, Wendy, "The Life Cycle of Dams: An Analysis of Policy Change on the Rogue River, Oregon" (2016). All Master's Theses. 359. https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/359 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses at ScholarWorks@CWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@CWU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE LIFE CYCLE OF DAMS: AN ANALYSIS OF POLICY CHANGE ON THE ROGUE RIVER, OREGON __________________________________ A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty Central Washington University ___________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Cultural and Environmental Resource Management ___________________________________ by Wendy D. McDermott March 2016 CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Graduate Studies We hereby approve the thesis of Wendy D. McDermott Candidate for the degree of Master of Science APPROVED FOR THE GRADUATE FACULTY ______________ _________________________________________ Dr. Michael Pease, Committee Chair ______________ _________________________________________ Dr. Jennifer Lipton ______________ _________________________________________ Dr. Craig S. Revels ______________ _________________________________________ Dean of Graduate Studies ii ABSTRACT THE LIFE CYCLE OF DAMS: AN ANALYSIS OF POLICY CHANGE ON THE ROGUE RIVER, OREGON by Wendy D. McDermott March 2016 Every river system contains a unique set of attributes including biophysical characteristics, human created infrastructure, and stakeholder user groups. This thesis utilizes Lowry’s (2003) “Theoretical Framework for Policy Changes” to provide an analysis of fundamental policy change that occurred on the Rogue River in southwest Oregon through a comparative case study of the removal of two dams: Savage Rapids Dam (SRD) and the Gold Ray Dam (GRD). Fundamental change occurs when political receptivity is high and physical complexity is low. Political receptivity characterizes how decisions are made and physical complexity refers to how complicated implementing the decision may be. Application of the framework reveals the role of advocacy coalitions and socioeconomic conditions as critical factors in altering the status quo in both of the decision-making process for Savage Rapids Dam and Gold Ray Dam. With the convergence of several economic, social, and environmental factors, dam removal has emerged as a feasible river management option in not only Oregon but also across the United States. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Attaining a master’s degree has been a dream of mine for a very long time, and the completion of this thesis is the final step in achieving that dream; A dream that would not have come true without the encouragement and guidance of family, friends, and mentors. I sincerely thank my committee, Dr. Michael Pease, Dr. Craig Revels, and Dr. Jennifer Lipton, for their guidance and patience during my five-year detour in life between completing my coursework at CWU and finishing this thesis. I thank Dr. Morris Uebelacker for pointing me toward the Rogue River. I am grateful for the assistantship and research fellowships I received from CWU which enabled me to attend graduate school and conduct my research. A thank you goes to Kathy Mechling and Jim Gurley who provided me with housing during summer 2010 while I was in the Rogue River basin conducting research. Lastly, without the loving support and encouragement from my family, especially my parents, John and Gail McDermott, I do not think I would have ever finished writing this thesis. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 Purpose and Significance of the Study .................................................... 2 The Rogue River Basin ........................................................................... 3 Savage Rapids Dam and Gold Ray Dam ................................................ 6 Chapter Progression .............................................................................. 11 II LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 12 Rivers as Workhorses ............................................................................ 12 Consequences of Dams and Regulated Rivers ...................................... 18 Managing Federal Agencies .................................................................. 22 Oregon Agencies ................................................................................... 25 The Emergence of Dam Removal ......................................................... 27 Dam Removal Decision-Making ........................................................... 30 Socioeconomics of Dam Removal ........................................................ 31 Ecological Responses to Dam Removals .............................................. 33 The Policy Process ................................................................................ 34 Policy Change Theory in River Management: Dam Politics ................ 38 Political Receptivity and Physical Complexity ..................................... 39 Summary ............................................................................................... 45 III METHODS ................................................................................................. 46 Introduction ........................................................................................... 46 Methodological Approach ..................................................................... 46 Data Collection and Analysis ................................................................ 47 IV HISTORY OF DAM BUILDING ON THE ROGUE RIVER ................... 54 Introduction ........................................................................................... 54 Native Americans .................................................................................. 54 Historic-Era ........................................................................................... 56 Salmon and Settlement .......................................................................... 58 The Five Main Dams on the Rogue Mainstem (1890-2010) ................ 60 V ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................ 101 Savage Rapids Dam ............................................................................ 101 Gold Ray Dam..................................................................................... 110 Comparison of Savage Rapids and Gold Ray Dams ........................... 117 v Chapter Conclusion ............................................................................. 119 VI CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 121 Future Work for Dam Removal Research ........................................... 121 Rogue River Post Dam Removal ........................................................ 123 Theoretical Framework for Policy Change ......................................... 127 Final Thoughts .................................................................................... 128 REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 130 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Primary purposes of dams in the United States .......................................... 17 2 Dams by ownership in the United States .................................................... 17 3 Primary purposes of the dams in Oregon .................................................... 18 4 Example documentation utilized ................................................................ 49 5 List of interviewees ..................................................................................... 51 6 Dams once located on the mainstem of the Rogue River. .......................... 55 7 Comparison of estimated costs of alternatives to resolve fish passage issues at Savage Rapids Dam ........................................................ 79 8 Ratings for categories of physical receptivity and complexity for Savage Rapids and Gold Ray Dam cases ............................................ 102 9 Competing advocacy coalitions, Savage Rapids Dam removal (1987-2009) ................................................................................ 104 10 Estimated costs of Savage Rapids Dam removal versus retention ........... 110 11 Competing advocacy coalitions, Gold Ray Dam removal (2008-2010) ... 112 12 Comparison of estimated cost of removing or retaining Gold Ray Dam .......................................................................................... 114 13 List of differences between Savage Rapids and Gold Ray Dams ............. 120 14 Salmon redd counts in Rogue River mainstem in formerly inundated reaches behind SRD and GRD ................................................. 125 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Map of Rogue River Basin and Subbasins ..................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • AFS Policy Statement #32: STUDY REPORT on DAM REMOVAL for the AFS RESOURCE POLICY COMMITTEE (Full Text)
    AFS Policy Statement #32: STUDY REPORT ON DAM REMOVAL FOR THE AFS RESOURCE POLICY COMMITTEE (Full Text) (DRAFT #7: 10/05/01, J. Haynes, Editor) (DRAFT #8: 02/23/03, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #9: 03/18/03, H. Blough) (DRAFT #10: 09/23/03, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #11: 09/25/03, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #12: 10/31/03, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #13: 1/9/04, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #14: 7/7/04, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #15: 7/18/04, T. Bigford) (DRAFT #16: 11/20/04, T. Bigford) 2003-2004 Resource Policy Committee Heather Blough, Co-Chair, Kim Hyatt, Co-Chair, Mary Gessner, Victoria Poage, Allan Creamer, Chris Lenhart, Jamie Geiger, Jarrad Rosa, Wilson Laney, Tom Bigford, Danielle Pender, Tim Essington with assistance from Jennifer Lowery 2002-2003 Resource Policy Committee Heather Blough, Co-Chair, Thomas E. Bigford, Co-Chair Allan Creamer, Bob Peoples, Chris Lenhart, Maria La Salete Bernardino Rodrigues, Jamie Geiger, Jarrad Rosa, Wilson Laney, Kim Hyatt, Danielle Pender 2001-2002 Resource Policy Committee Tom Bigford, Chair, Heather Blough, Vice Chair, Jim Francis, Bill Gordon, Judy Pederson, Larry Simpson, Jarrad Kosa, Jaime Geiger, Bob Peoples, Maria La Salete Bernardino Rodrigues, Chris Lenhart 2000-2001 Coordinating Committee James M. Haynes, Chair, R. Duane Harrell, Christine M. Moffitt (ex officio), tc "James M. Haynes, Chair, R. Duane Harrell, Christine M. Moffitt (ex officio), Gary E. Whelan, Maureen Wilson, James M. Haynes, Chair 1999-2000 Study Committee Larry L. Olmsted, Chair, Donald C. Jackson, Peter B. Moyle,Stephen G. Rideout November 20, 2004 Introduction This study report provides background information to support a recommendation by the American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) Resource Policy Committee to develop a Dam Removal Policy Statement for consideration by the Governing Board and the full membership.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Benefits of Dam Removal
    A Research Paper by Dam Removal: Case Studies on the Fiscal, Economic, Social, and Environmental Benefits of Dam Removal October 2016 <Year> Dam Removal: Case Studies on the Fiscal, Economic, Social, and Environmental Benefits of Dam Removal October 2016 PUBLISHED ONLINE: http://headwaterseconomics.org/economic-development/local-studies/dam-removal-case-studies ABOUT HEADWATERS ECONOMICS Headwaters Economics is an independent, nonprofit research group whose mission is to improve community development and land management decisions in the West. CONTACT INFORMATION Megan Lawson, Ph.D.| [email protected] | 406-570-7475 P.O. Box 7059 Bozeman, MT 59771 http://headwaterseconomics.org Cover Photo: Whittenton Pond Dam, Mill River, Massachusetts. American Rivers. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 MEASURING THE BENEFITS OF DAM REMOVAL ........................................................................................... 2 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................. 5 CASE STUDIES WHITTENTON POND DAM, MILL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS ........................................................................ 11 ELWHA AND GLINES CANYON DAMS, ELWHA RIVER, WASHINGTON ........................................................ 14 EDWARDS DAM, KENNEBEC RIVER, MAINE ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Marmot Dam Removal Geomorphic Monitoring & Modelling Project
    MARMOT DAM REMOVAL GEOMORPHIC MONITORING & MODELING PROJECT ANNUAL REPORT June 2008 – May 2009 Prepared for: Sandy River Basin Watershed Council PO Box 868 Sandy OR 97055 Prepared by: Charles Podolak Johns Hopkins University Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering 3400 N. Charles St, Baltimore MD 21218 Smokey Pittman Graham Matthews & Associates P.O. Box 1516, Weaverville, CA, 96093 June 2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to sincerely thank all who assisted with the Marmot Dam Removal Geomorphic Monitoring & Modeling Project: Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board – funding Johns Hopkins University & The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) Peter Wilcock Project Advisor Daniela Martinez Graduate Assistant NCED & National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Kim Devillier Intern Dajana Jurk Intern Cecilia Palomo Intern Tim Shin Intern Katie Trifone Intern Graham Matthews & Associates Graham Matthews GMA Principle Investigator Logan Cornelius Streamflow and Sediment Sampling Cort Pryor Streamflow and Sediment Sampling Brooke Connell Topographic Surveys Keith Barnard Topographic Surveys/Survey Data Analysis Sandy River Basin Watershed Council Russ Plaeger Director U.S. Geological Survey Jon Major Jim O’Connor Rose Wallick Mackenzie Keith U.S. Forest Service Connie Athman Gordon Grant Portland General Electric David Heinzman John Esler Tim Keller Tony Dentel Metro Parks Bill Doran Landowners Mary Elkins David Boos MARMOT DAM REMOVAL GEOMORPHIC MONITORING & MODELING PROJECT – 2009 ANNUAL REPORT ii
    [Show full text]
  • Fielder and Wimer Dam Removals Phase I
    R & E Grant Application Project #: 13 Biennium 13-054 Fielder and Wimer Dam Removals Phase I Project Information R&E Project $58,202.00 Request: Match Funding: $179,126.00 Total Project: $237,328.00 Start Date: 4/26/2014 End Date: 6/30/2015 Project Email: [email protected] Project 13 Biennium Biennium: Organization: WaterWatch of Oregon (Tax ID #: 93-0888158) Fiscal Officer Name: John DeVoe Address: 213 SW Ash Street, Suite 208 Portland, OR 97204 Telephone: 503-295-4039 x1 Email: [email protected] Applicant Information Name: Bob Hunter Email: [email protected] Past Recommended or Completed Projects This applicant has no previous projects that match criteria. Project Summary This project is part of ODFW’s 25 Year Angling Plan. Activity Type: Passage Summary: The project is to solve the fish passage problems associated with Fielder and Wimer Dams by removing the aging structures. This grant will provide funding for the pre-implementation mapping, assessments, analyses, design work, permitting, construction drawings, and preparation of bid packages needed for removal of these two dams. This Phase I pre-implementation work will be followed by Phase II implementation of the dam removal and site restoration plans that will be developed in this first phase. Objectives: Fielder and Wimer Dams are located on Evans Creek, an important salmon and Project #: 13-054 Last Modified/Revised: 4/11/2014 3:16:13 PM Page 1 of 12 Fielder and Wimer Dam Removals Phase I steelhead spawning tributary of the Rogue River. Both dams are listed in the top ten in priority statewide on ODFW’s 2013 Statewide Fish Passage Priority List.
    [Show full text]
  • Item F – Klamath Dam Removal - Contingency Funding March 9-10, 2021 Board Meeting
    Kate Brown, Governor 775 Summer Street NE, Suite 360 Salem OR 97301-1290 www.oregon.gov/oweb (503) 986-0178 Agenda Item F supports OWEB’s Strategic Plan priority #3: Community capacity and strategic partnerships achieve healthy watersheds, and Strategic Plan priority 7: Bold and innovative actions to achieve health in Oregon’s watersheds. MEMORANDUM TO: Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board FROM: Meta Loftsgaarden, OWEB Executive Director Richard Whitman, DEQ Director SUBJECT: Agenda Item F – Klamath Dam Removal - Contingency Funding March 9-10, 2021 Board Meeting I. Introduction Removal of the four PacifiCorp dams along the Klamath River in Oregon and California that block fish passage has been a priority of multiple governors in both states for over a decade. After extensive work by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and its contractors (in partnership with states, tribes, federal agencies, irrigators, conservation groups, and many others), there is now a clear path to completing dam removal in 2023. This staff report updates the board on the dam removal project and asks for a general indication of board support in the unlikely event that additional funding is needed to complete restoration work following dam removal. II. Background PacifiCorp owns and operates four hydro-electric dams on the Klamath River, three in California and one in Oregon. PacifiCorp has decided to that it is in the best interest of the company and its customers to stop operating the dams rather than spending substantial amounts on improvements likely to be needed if they were to continue generating power. PacifiCorp has agreed to transfer ownership of the dams to the Klamath River Restoration Corporation, which in turn has contracted with Kiewit Infrastructure -- one of the nation’s most experienced large project construction firms – which will remove the dams and restore the river to a free-flowing condition.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of the Glen Canyon Dam on Colorado River Temperature Dynamics
    Effects of the Glen Canyon Dam on Colorado River Temperature Dynamics GEL 230 – Ecogeomorphology University of California, Davis Derek Roberts March 2nd, 2016 Abstract: At the upstream end of the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon Dam has changed the Colorado River from a run-of-the-river flow to a deep, summer-stratified reservoir. This change in flow regime significantly alters the temperature regime of the Colorado River. Seasonal temperature variation, once ranging from near to almost , is now limited to 7 . The lack of warm summer temperatures has prevented spawning of endangered 0℃ 30℃ humpback chub in the Colorado River. Implementation of a temperature control device, to − 14℃ allow for warmer summer releases to mitigate negative temperature effects on endangered fish, was considered by the federal government. Ultimately, this proposal was put on indefinite hold by the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to concerns of cost and unintended ecological consequences. The low-variability of the current dam-induced Colorado River temperature regime will continue into the foreseeable future. Agencies are reviewing humpback chub conservation efforts outside of temperature control. Keywords: Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon Dam, thermal dynamics 1.0 Introduction Temperature in natural water bodies is a primary driver of both ecological and physical processes. Freshwater plant and animal metabolisms are heavily affected by temperature (Coulter 2014). Furthermore, the thermal structure of a water body has significant impacts on the physical processes that drive ecosystem function (Hodges et al 2000); fluid dynamics drive transport of nutrients, oxygen, and heat. Human action, often the introduction of dams or industrial cooling systems, can alter the natural thermal regimes of rivers and lakes leading to reverberating impacts throughout associated ecosystems.
    [Show full text]
  • By Jane C. Marks
    DOWN GO THE Many dams are being torn down these days, allowing rivers and the ecosystems they support to rebound. But ecological risks abound as well. Can they be averted? B Y J A N E C . M A R K S 66 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MARCH 2007 t the start of the 20th century, Fossil Creek was a DAMS spring-fed waterway sustaining an oasis in the middle of the Arizona desert. The wild river and lush ripar- ian ecosystem attracted fi sh and a host of animals and plants that could not survive in other environments. TheA river and its surrounds also attracted prospectors and set- tlers to the Southwest. By 1916 engineers had dammed Fossil Creek, redirecting water through fl umes that wound along steep hillsides to two hydroelectric plants. Those plants powered the mining operations that fueled Arizona’s economic growth and helped support the rapid expansion of the city of Phoenix. By 2001, however, the Fossil Creek generating stations were provid- ing less than 0.1 percent of the state’s power supply. Nearly two years ago the plants were shut down, and an ex- periment began to unfold. In the summer of 2005 utility work- ers retired the dam and the fl umes and in so doing restored most of the fl ow to the 22.5 kilometers of Fossil Creek riverbed that had not seen much water in nearly a century. Trickles became waterfalls, and stagnant shallows became deep turquoise pools. Scientists are now monitoring the ecosystem to see whether it can recover after being partially sere for so long, to see whether native fi sh and plants can again take hold.
    [Show full text]
  • Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement Report
    Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement Report FINAL DRAFT March 6, 2020 Prepared by: Kramer Consulting Ross Strategic White Bluffs Consulting Contents Executive Summary .......................................................... 1 Opportunities to Increase Understanding .................................... 52 Background and Context ............................................................... 2 Public Comments Related to Agriculture ..................................... 52 Major Findings and Perspectives ................................................... 3 Section 7: Transportation .............................................. 53 Opportunities to Increase Understanding .................................... 12 Context ........................................................................................ 53 Moving Forward ........................................................................... 13 Perspectives ................................................................................ 60 Section 1: Purpose and Scope of Report ..................... 15 Opportunities to Increase Understanding .................................... 62 Background .................................................................................. 15 Public Comments Related to Transportation............................... 62 The Intent of the Report and Engagement Process .................... 15 Section 8: Recreation ..................................................... 64 Methodology................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Sorry, Marty, but Idaho Water Is No Bargaining Chip for Dam Removal
    TURNABOUT: Sorry, Marty, but Idaho water is no bargaining chip for dam removal By NORM SEMANKO May 7, 2019 In his May 2 editorial, Marty Trillhaase states that the Snake River dams are a headache for people in other parts of Idaho. He also suggests that the dams are somehow responsible for Idaho’s contributions toward flow augmentation and have resulted in irrigated farmland being dried up. He is wrong on both counts. This may come as a surprise to Trillhaase, but Idaho is one state. It is and should be united in protecting the dams and other vital infrastructure that provides benefits to residents and businesses in our state. That is inconvenient for the litigating environmental groups who prefer that the dams be removed. But it makes perfect sense to the rest of us. That is why the Idaho Water Users Association — which includes all of the large irrigation districts and canal companies in southern and eastern Idaho — has resolved that it “is opposed to removal of any of the lower Snake and Columbia River dams.” Instead of imagining a world where the dams no longer exist, we are better served by making sure that the dams and fish can coexist. Significant strides in this direction continue to be made everyday. In the 1990s, we were told that the salmon were entering an “extinction vortex” and would be gone by 2017. Well, that didn’t happen. We still have fish, in increased numbers — and much improved dams. The “big lie” that has been circulated in the region by environmental groups for years — and now perpetuated by Trillhaase — is that the desire for Idaho water would magically go away if the dams were removed.
    [Show full text]
  • Kelly Creek Dam Removal Feasibility Study AdministraVe Review Dra Mt
    Kelly Creek Dam Removal Feasibility Study Administrave Review Dra Mt. Hood Community College Campus, Oregon Prepared for Steve Wise Execuve Director Prepared by June 14, 2019 Kelly Creek Dam Removal Feasibility Study Administrative Review Draft Prepared for Sandy River Watershed Council Steve Wise Executive Director 26000 SE Stark Street, GE Bldg. Gresham, OR 97030 Prepared by River Design Group, Inc. Contact: Scott Wright, PE, PMP Jack Zunka, PhD, GIT Russell Bartlett, PE, LSI 311 SW Jefferson Avenue Corvallis, Oregon 97333 www.riverdesigngroup.com In Association with Quincy Engineering for Bridge Concepts Greenworks for Site Renderings Administrative Review Draft June 14, 2019 Kelly Creek Dam Removal Feasibility Executive Summary Kelly Creek dam sits in the middle of the Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) campus and was built in 1968 as a land bridge across Kelly Creek. The earthen dam consists of approximately 60,000 cubic yards (CY) of soil fill and the reservoir has approximately 4,300 CY of stored sediment. The current dam and reservoir create a fragmented stream reach that elevates summer stream temperatures, blocks fish passage, and reduces available aquatic habitat for federally threatened salmonids. The Sandy River Watershed Council (SRWC) convened a series of stakeholder and partner meetings that invited representatives from MHCC, the City of Gresham (the City), East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD), Metro, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), tribes with ceded lands in the basin, and angler groups to gain insight and ideas for potential dam bypass and restoration in Kelly Creek. Stakeholder input led to development of several objectives: Campus Infrastructure and Functionality • Maintain or improve campus connectivity for pedestrians and service vehicles, • Develop design alternatives that minimize short-term impacts to surrounding campus resources and infrastructure outside of the project area, and • Maintain campus site safety during implementation.
    [Show full text]
  • ADDRESSING the DAM PROBLEM: BALANCING HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENTALISM, and COMMUNITY PLACE ATTACHMENT by ALTHEA R
    ADDRESSING THE DAM PROBLEM: BALANCING HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENTALISM, AND COMMUNITY PLACE ATTACHMENT by ALTHEA R. WUNDERLER-SELBY A THESIS Presented to the Historic Preservation Program and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 2019 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Althea R. Wunderler-Selby Title: Addressing the Dam Problem: Balancing Historic Preservation, Environmentalism, and Community Place Attachment This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in the Historic Preservation Program by: Dr. James Buckley Chair Eric Eisemann Member Laurie Mathews Member and Janet Woodruff-Borden Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2019 ii © 2019 Althea R. Wunderler-Selby This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDervis (United States) License iii THESIS ABSTRACT Althea R. Wunderler-Selby Master of Science Historic Preservation Program June 2019 Title: Addressing the Dam Problem: Balancing Preservation, Environmentalism, and Community Place Attachment This thesis addresses the growing occurrence of historic dam removals across the United States and the complex balance of interests they entail. Historic dams are often environmentally harmful, but they may also represent significant cultural resources and places of community attachment. In the Pacific Northwest, hydroelectric dams powered the region’s growth and development, but today many of these dams are being removed for their negative environmental impacts. This thesis explores hydroelectricity’s significance in the Pacific Northwest region, the parallel growth of the modern river restoration movement, the intricate process of dam removal, and the primary regulatory method used to address the loss of historic resources.
    [Show full text]
  • Guidelines for Dam Decommissioning Projects
    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.
    [Show full text]