This project seeks to create a cohesive standard for dam removal given that dams across the United States are aging and too often insufficiently maintained, threatening the communities they were intended to serve. There are more than 92,000 dams across the country, many of which were built decades to centuries ago and are no longer serving the purpose that they were built to provide. Across the U.S. more than 6,400 dams are at high risk to fail with tragic public safety consequences because they have safety deficiencies and are high hazard potential dams. The American Society of Civil Engineers report card gave national dam infrastructure a D due to aging infrastructure, lack of funding and maintenance, and an increasing number of deficient high hazard dams.

Select removal of obsolete or unsafe dams can be a solution to this problem. However, dam removal projects often have complex engineering, ecological, cultural, and regulatory challenges. Dam removal best practice guidance is needed to ensure this work is done safely and efficiently, and state-led programs are needed to provide expertise and help fund these projects. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided significant funding to FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) and the High Hazard Potential Dams Program to fund the removal of hazardous dams with dam owner consent. NDSP staff have expressed a need for dam removal guidance to help evaluate potential projects and provide assistance to applicants. As infrastructure becomes outdated and unsafe while the impacts of climate change on rivers stresses dam capacity, dam removal is a critical option that needs to be made more accessible to dam owners. Developing dam removal best practices and establishing dam removal programs will support national security, protect the lives of citizens, and improve the health of our rivers.