Session Coordinator: Charlie Schneider, Cal Trout, Lost Coast Project Manager

 

California has thousands of dams, from small earthen barriers to large dams hundreds of feet tall. Many of them provide critical water supply, flood control, and hydroelectric power, but many have outlived their functional lifespan, and the ecosystem and economic benefits of removal far outweigh the cost of leaving them in place. With the Klamath dams gone and scientists tracking ecosystem recovery, which are the next dams in California likely to be removed. This session will explore active dam removal efforts across the state and discuss the who, what, where, why, and how of each effort.