We’re committed to improving our ecosystems, quality of life, and communities for the better.
Our passion and commitment to the integration of innovative science and engineering drive us to exceed on behalf of every client.
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In this two part blog series piece we take a look at addressing and preventing potential conflicts and the key factors involved in dam removal decision-making - to remove or not to remove.
Typically, the decision to remove a dam is made by varying entities, depending on the regulatory oversight of the dam. In most cases, the dam owner itself is the decision-maker, often deciding that the costs of continuing to operate and maintain the dam are more than removing the dam. State dam safety offices can sometimes order a dam to be removed or lowered if there are major safety concerns. State fish and wildlife offices and environmental organizations are also often involved in the decision-making, particularly when the goals of the project include restoration of habitat for migratory and resident aquatic species. If the dam in question is a hydropower facility, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also has the power to order a hydropower dam under their jurisdiction to be removed for both environmental and safety reasons.
Identifying key barriers early on and understanding which of those barriers might have potential solutions versus remain an impediment, is critical to prioritizing limited ecological restoration resources.
The careful formulation and communication of the benefits for dam removal specific to each project, adequate education of the public, and stakeholder involvement are incredibly important components to dam removal conflict resolution. As is an understanding that not all dams will or should be removed, and that the local community and stakeholders needs/concerns should be fully integrated into the decision-making process.
It’s crucial to keep stakeholders and general public informed throughout the process via regular social media and traditional media outreach. Successful projects are based on a transparent process that integrates the local community. It is the local community that then becomes the environmental stewards of the restored river system.
There are few “easy” dam removal decisions. Most dams have both positive and negative impacts. The challenge in making a sound decision about whether or not to remove a dam is to identify all of the costs and benefits of keeping (and eventually repairing or replacing) that particular structure, as well as the costs and benefits of removing it, and balance the findings to determine the best option. It is important to ensure that the full range of costs and benefits are identified.
Working through the many issues involved in deciding to keep or remove a dam can offer surprising conclusions that can lead to a reasoned approach – reducing subjectivity and increasing objectivity. The key issues typically investigated include:
When making a final decision, it’s important to critically examine all factors to understand the influences on the decision. No matter the final outcome, at least it will be a well-informed process, and the information and understanding gained can help shape future decisions.
Although each dam removal project is unique, we developed a standard process that we follow:
While there is often no definitive answer to a question about whether a particular dam should be removed, there is a right and wrong way to go about making a dam removal decision. A good dam removal/retention decision is one that is based on an assessment of all the facts, collaboration with all stakeholders, and objective criteria.
Princeton Hydro has designed, permitted, and overseen the reconstruction, repair, and removal of dozens of dams throughout the Northeast. To contact us and learn more about our fish passage and dam removal engineering services, visit: bit.ly/DamBarrier.
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People have been building dams since prerecorded history for a wide variety of economically valuable purposes including water supply, flood control, and hydroelectric power. Back in the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. saw a boom in infrastructure development, and dams were being built with little regard to their impacts on rivers and the environment. By the 1970s, the rapid progression of dam building in the U.S. led researchers to start investigating the ecological impacts of dams. Results from these early studies eventually fueled the start of proactive dam removal activities throughout the U.S.
Despite the proven benefits of dam removal, conflicts are a prevalent part of any dam removal project. Dam removal, like any other social decision-making process, brings up tensions around economics and the distribution of real and perceived gains and losses. In this two part blog series, we take a look at addressing and preventing potential conflicts and the key factors involved in dam removal decision-making – to remove or not to remove.
The primary reasons we remove dams are safety, economics, ecology, and regulatory. There has been a growing movement to remove dams where the costs – including environmental, safety, and socio-cultural impacts – outweigh the benefits of the dam or where the dam no longer serves any useful purpose. In some cases, it’s more beneficial economically to remove a dam than to keep it, even if it still produces revenue. Sometimes the estimated cost of inspection, repair, and maintenance can significantly exceed the cost of removal, rendering generated projected revenue insignificant.
Safety reasons are also vital, especially for cases in which dams are aging, yet still holding large amounts of water or impounded sediment. As dams age and decay, they can become public safety hazards, presenting a failure risk and flooding danger. According to American Rivers, “more than 90,000 dams in the country are no longer serving the purpose that they were built to provide decades or centuries ago.” Dam removal has increasingly become the best option for property owners who can no longer afford the rising cost of maintenance and repair work required to maintain these complex structures.
The goal of removal can be multi-faceted, including saving taxpayer money; restoring flows for migrating fish, other aquatic organisms, and wildlife; reinstating the natural sediment and nutrient flow; eliminating safety risks; and restoring opportunities for riverine recreation.
Dam removal efforts are often subjected to a number of different obstacles that can postpone or even halt the process altogether. Reasons for retaining dams often involve: aesthetics and reservoir recreation; water intakes/diversions; hydroelectric; quantity/quality of sediment; funding issues; cultural/historic values of manmade structures; owner buy-in; sensitive species; and community politics.
Of those common restoration obstacles, one of the more frequently encountered challenges is cost and funding. Determining who pays for the removal of a dam is often a complex issue. Sometimes, removal can be financed by the dam owner, local, state, and federal governments, and in some cases agreements are made whereby multiple stakeholders contribute to cover the costs. Funding for dam removal projects can be difficult to obtain because it typically has to come from a variety of sources.
Anecdotally, opposition also stems from fear of change and fear of the unknown. Bruce Babbitt, the United States Secretary of the Interior from 1993 through 2001 and dam removal advocate, said in an article he wrote, titled A River Runs Against It: America's Evolving View of Dams, “I always wonder what is it about the sound of a sledgehammer on concrete that evokes such a reaction? We routinely demolish buildings that have served their purpose or when there is a better use for the land. Why not dams? For whatever reason, we view dams as akin to the pyramids of Egypt—a permanent part of the landscape, timeless monuments to our civilization and technology.”
Negative public perceptions of dam removal and its consequences can seriously impede
removal projects. Although there are many reasons for the resistance to dam removal, it is important that each be understood and addressed in order to find solutions that fulfill both the needs of the environment and the local communities.
Stay tuned for Part Two of this blog series in which we explore strategies for analyzing dams and what goes into deciding if a dam should remain or be removed.
Princeton Hydro is participating in lots of interesting events this Spring; here's a snapshot of what's to come:
Celebrate Earth Day a few days early with a fun Jersey Shore volunteer event! The American Littoral Society, in partnership with Princeton Hydro, Borough of Point Pleasant, and the local Rotary Club, is organizing dozens of volunteers to restore the shoreline and prevent further erosion at the Slade Dale Sanctuary using recycled Christmas trees, a technique that is groundbreaking for New Jersey. Help us transport donated/recycled Christmas trees to the marsh to breakwater sections, stuffed them between the pilings, and securely tie them down. The volunteer is from 10 AM to 4 PM and water and light refreshments will be served. Dress to get wet and mess and don't forget to bring sunscreen, lunch, and waders (if you have them!). Street parking is available along Sea Point Drive.
We're celebrating Arbor Day with Friends of Exton Park! Join us on Thursday, April 25 for a bird walk and native tree and shrub planting. During the bird walk, which runs from 8:30 - 10:30 am, we hope to spot spring migrants. Planting will take place between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm, and then lunch will be provided.
We hope you'll join us for a fun and productive day in Exton Park. Birders and nature enthusiasts of all skill levels are welcome!
Princeton Hydro is proud to be attending, sponsoring, and our Communications Strategist Dana Patterson is emceeing this year's Society for American Military Engineers (SAME) NJ Post 2019 Small Business Council Breakfast, which is being held at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe. The program consists of networking opportunities, a variety of speakers, and breakfast (of course!). SAME gives leaders from the A/E/C, environmental, and facility management industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities for small businesses to work in the federal market.
New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) will host its 36th Annual Conference May 3-4 at the Fort William Henry Conference Center in Lake George. This year’s conference, which is titled, “Empowering Lake Associations in Challenging Times,” will feature a diverse exhibitor hall, networking opportunities, a silent auction and a variety of educational sessions. Princeton Hydro is exhibiting and giving presentations on the following topics:
Hosted by the nonprofit Sustainable South Jersey, the Sustainable South Jersey Earth Festival is the largest eco-event in the region, drawing 5000 visitors annually. This year’s festival is themed "Reduce Plastic – Fantastic!" and will feature a family-fun bike ride, musical entertainment, perennial native plant swap, exhibits from a variety of earth-friendly, eco-conscious vendors, outdoor arts & crafts, and more. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend. Advanced registration is required for the family-fun bike ride. Our Communications Strategist Dana Patterson recently joined the board of Sustainable South Jersey, and will be hopping around the event. We hope to see you there!
Throughout October, Princeton Hydro is proud to participate in a number of conferences and events on topics ranging from floodplain management to ecological restoration to dam removal:
The conference, being held in Baltimore, gives small and minority businesses in the architecture, engineering and construction industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities to work in the federal market. The program consists of networking events, a variety of speakers and small business exhibits. Be sure to stop by the Princeton Hydro booth to say hello to President Geoffrey Goll, P.E. and Communications Strategist Dana Patterson.
The Great Swamp Watershed Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, is hosting its 2018 Gala & Silent Auction. This year's event is being, held in honor of former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, for his environmental leadership during his administration for enacting landmark protections for New Jersey’s shoreline and freshwater wetlands. present and future generations. The evening will include a cocktail hour, dinner banquet, expansive silent auction, and remarks delivered by Governor Kean. Princeton Hydro is proud to be a Benefactor of the event and looking forward to attending.
The theme of this year's AERS Fall Meeting is "The power of framing your message: It's not what you say, it's how you say it!" Participants will gather at Stockton University to hear a variety of ignite-style presentations about misconceptions that typically surround scientific work, how to address them, and how to re-frame your message to be better understood by the general public and other non-scientists and increase stakeholder involvement. Princeton Hydro's Senior Aquatics Scientist Jack Szczepanski, PhD will be attending the conference; chat with him to learn more about our pond and lake services.
This year's SER New England conference brings together stewards, researchers, students, regulators, community activists and practitioners to explore innovative ecological restoration techniques and projects that connect communities within and across ecosystems. The conference includes a variety of plenary talks, field trips, workshops and a keynote address, which will be given by Stewart Diemont of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The keynote, titled "Learning from the People and the Land: Traditional Ecological Knowledge Toward Restoration of Ecosystems and of our Connection with Nature," is free and open to the public.
Members of the Princeton Hydro are attending the conference and leading two sessions: Laura Wildman, Water Resources and Fisheries Engineer, is leading a workshop about implementing dam removal to restore rivers. Paul Woodworth, Fluvial Geomorphologist, is presenting on the post-dam removal monitoring of active and passive restoration approaches utilizing the Hyde Pond Dam removal as a tangible example.
HDC-SETAC is a professional society for scientists, engineers and related disciplines concerned with environmental science and health throughout the Hudson River and Delaware River metropolitan area. The 2018 Fall Workshop, being held at Villanova University, aims to enhance participants’ knowledge of “Harmful Algal Blooms and other Emerging Contaminants.” Princeton Hydro’s Director of Aquatic Programs Dr. Fred Lubnow is giving a presentation on “The Monitoring and Management of Cyanotoxins in Raw Water Supplies.” We hope to see you there!
ANJEC, a nonprofit organization supporting efforts to protect the environment and preserve natural resources in communities throughout New Jersey, is hosting its 45th Annual Environmental Congress at Mercer County College. The Environmental Congress is an annual statewide gathering of environmental commissions, local officials, agencies, citizen groups and environmental organizations, which includes an exhibitors hall, farmer's market, and workshops on a variety of current environmental topics. Princeton Hydro, a business member of the ANJEC, will be exhibiting during the event. Stop by the booth to say hello to Dr. Stephen J. Souza, Princeton Hydro Founder and ANJEC Board of Trustees member, and Dana Patterson, Communications Strategist for Princeton Hydro.
NJAFM is hosting its 14th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Atlantic City, NJ. Participants will attend meetings and seminars covering topics, including hazard mitigation, flood insurance, infrastructure, mapping, planning, flood modeling, regulations, floodproofing, stormwater management, flood proofing, construction standards and more. Princeton Hydro's Christiana Pollack, GISP, CFM and NJDEP's Jessica Jahre, PP, AICP, CFM are giving a presentation, titled "A Flood Assessment for the Future," for which they'll showcase a flood assessment and flood mitigation analysis that Princeton Hydro performed in the Lower Moodna Creek Watershed.
Riverkeeper and Patagonia present the premiere of "Undamming the Hudson River," a short documentary film by National Geographic filmmaker Jon Bowermaster showcasing Riverkeeper’s efforts to restore natural habitat by eliminating obsolete dams throughout the Hudson River Estuary. The screening will be followed by refreshments and a panel discussion, moderated by Bowermaster, featuring experts in the field and an audience Q&A. Panelists, include:
This event is free and open to the public and will take place at Patagonia SoHo, 72 Greene St, New York, NY 10012 from 7:30 - 10pm.
MAC URISA 2018, the largest GIS conference in the Mid-Atlantic region, will showcase outstanding and innovative uses of GIS technologies in the area. The program includes a variety of presentations, breakout sessions, a GIS Techspo forum, lightening talks, and more. Thomas Hopper, Princeton Hydro's GIS Analyst, is providing a technical demonstration on the Linkage Mapper GIS Toolkit, which was created by the Nature Conservancy to support habitat connectivity analyses.
NALMS is hosting its 38th International Symposium in Cincinnati Ohio, titled "Now Trending: Innovations in Lake Management." This year’s symposium includes a robust exhibit hall, a variety of field trips, and a wide array of presentations on topics ranging from the latest in monitoring technologies to combating invasive species to nutrient and water quality management and more. Princeton Hydro's Dr. Fred Lubnow, Director of Aquatic Programs, and Dr. Stephen Souza, Founder, both of whom have been members of NALMS since its inception, are presenting and exhibiting during the conference.
SAME gives leaders from the A/E/C, environmental, and facility management industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities for small businesses to work in the federal market. Princeton Hydro is proud to be attending the 2018 SAME SBC Conference, which is being held in New Orleans and co-locating with the Department of Veteran's Affairs' National Veterans Small Business Engagement. The program consists of networking events, small business exhibits, a variety of speakers and much more.
As dams age and decay, they can become public safety hazards, presenting a failure risk and flooding danger. According to American Rivers, “more than 90,000 dams in the country are no longer serving the purpose that they were built to provide decades or centuries ago.” Dam removal has increasingly become the best option for property owners who can no longer afford the rising cost of maintenance and repair work required to maintain these complex structures.
Dams can also cause environmental issues such as blocking the movement of fish and other aquatic species, inundating river habitat, impairing water quality, and altering the flow necessary to sustain river life. Removing nonfunctional, outdated dams can bring a river back to its natural state and significantly increase biodiversity for the surrounding watershed.
Currently, work is underway in Watertown, Connecticut to remove the Heminway Pond Dam, which restricts fish passage in Steele Brook, creates a pond with increased water temperatures and high bacterial levels due to high geese populations, and encourages deposition of iron precipitate in the stream channel just downstream of the dam.
Princeton Hydro designed the engineering plans, managed permitting and is now overseeing construction for the removal project. The removal of the Heminway Pond Dam is identified as an integral component in addressing water quality impairment between the dam and Echo Lake Road.
REMOVAL OF HEMINWAY POND DAM ON STEELE BROOK IN WATERTOWN UNDERWAY After almost 15 years of discussion and planning with the Town of Watertown and other partners, removal of Heminway Pond Dam on Steele Brook in Watertown finally got underway in early July. Though no longer functional, the dam and pond were originally constructed to supply water for a former thread/string mill. The Town acquired the dam and pond from the Siemon Company, the most recent owner, in 2007 with an eye towards removing the dam, restoring the river and converting the dewatered impoundment area into a passive recreation area, including an extension of the Steele Brook Greenway. With these goals in mind, the Town approached CT DEEP for help with removal of the dam. As it turns out, CT DEEP, has also had a strong interest in seeing this dam removed. It is anticipated that dam removal will improve the hydrology in this section of Steele Brook and eliminate a water quality impairment which manifests itself during hot weather and low flow conditions, as an orange-colored plume of water (due to iron precipitate) immediately downstream of the dam that impacts aquatic life. Dam removal would also benefit fisheries by restoring stream connectivity and habitat. Working towards these mutual goals, CT DEEP was able to provide federal CWA 319 nonpoint source grant funding to USDA NRCS to develop a watershed-based plan for Steele Brook to address nonpoint source impairments that includes a dam removal feasibility analysis for Heminway Pond Dam. Based on the recommendations in this plan, CT DEEP subsequently provided additional 319 grant funds to the Town of Watertown to hire a consultant to develop a dam removal design package, and assist with permitting and preparation. With the Town of Watertown as a strong and vested partner, CT DEEP is now helping this project over the finish line by providing a combination of 319 and SEP funds to accomplish the actual dam removal and restoration of Steele Brook. Dayton Construction Company is performing the construction and Princeton Hydro is the consultant overseeing the project on behalf of the Town. The Northwest Conservation District is also assisting with the project. It is anticipated that the majority of the work will be completed by this Fall. U.S. EPA, ACOE and CT DEEP have all played active roles with regard to permitting the project.
After almost 15 years of discussion and planning with the Town of Watertown and other partners, removal of Heminway Pond Dam on Steele Brook in Watertown finally got underway in early July. Though no longer functional, the dam and pond were originally constructed to supply water for a former thread/string mill. The Town acquired the dam and pond from the Siemon Company, the most recent owner, in 2007 with an eye towards removing the dam, restoring the river and converting the dewatered impoundment area into a passive recreation area, including an extension of the Steele Brook Greenway. With these goals in mind, the Town approached CT DEEP for help with removal of the dam.
As it turns out, CT DEEP, has also had a strong interest in seeing this dam removed. It is anticipated that dam removal will improve the hydrology in this section of Steele Brook and eliminate a water quality impairment which manifests itself during hot weather and low flow conditions, as an orange-colored plume of water (due to iron precipitate) immediately downstream of the dam that impacts aquatic life. Dam removal would also benefit fisheries by restoring stream connectivity and habitat.
Working towards these mutual goals, CT DEEP was able to provide federal CWA 319 nonpoint source grant funding to USDA NRCS to develop a watershed-based plan for Steele Brook to address nonpoint source impairments that includes a dam removal feasibility analysis for Heminway Pond Dam. Based on the recommendations in this plan, CT DEEP subsequently provided additional 319 grant funds to the Town of Watertown to hire a consultant to develop a dam removal design package, and assist with permitting and preparation.
With the Town of Watertown as a strong and vested partner, CT DEEP is now helping this project over the finish line by providing a combination of 319 and SEP funds to accomplish the actual dam removal and restoration of Steele Brook. Dayton Construction Company is performing the construction and Princeton Hydro is the consultant overseeing the project on behalf of the Town. The Northwest Conservation District is also assisting with the project. It is anticipated that the majority of the work will be completed by this Fall. U.S. EPA, ACOE and CT DEEP have all played active roles with regard to permitting the project.
Princeton Hydro has designed, permitted, and overseen the reconstruction, repair, and removal of dozens of small and large dams in the Northeast. Click here to read about a recent dam removal project the firm completed on the Moosup River.
Rivers are a critical natural resource and an essential element for the health and survival of billions of people and countless species. Flourishing populations of migratory fish are an important indicator of a healthy, coastally connected river and a robust aquatic ecosystem as a whole. Migratory fish help to maintain a balanced food web, support productive river systems, and provide income for people around the world.
Yet many migratory fish species are severely threatened primarily due to man-made obstacles like dams and weirs, which disrupt the natural flow of rivers and prevent fish migration. When fish can’t reach their habitat, they can’t reproduce and maintain their populations.
A new book, titled From Sea to Source 2.0, explores the challenges behind the restoration of fish migration in rivers around the world and provides a practical guide to promoting the protection and restoration of fish migration. The book is a unique collaboration of over 100 international fisheries professionals and supported by river managers, governments, research institutes, and NGOs including World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy. Geared toward practitioners, but also a wonderful resource for the general public, the book is comprised of inspiring stories from nearly every continent on the planet. Click here to download it for free.
“Ultimately our ambition is to contribute in a positive way to making a better world and a positive difference for migratory fish, nature and humans on local and global levels by inspiring new initiatives for and with people all around the world,” as stated on www.fromseatosource.com. “Whether the challenge is simply to increase access to spawning habitats through connectivity improvements for salmon, or to maintain the livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people dependent upon fish and fisheries in the great rivers of Asia, Africa, and South America, we hoped our book would help to achieve these goals.”
“We’re so proud to be part of this incredible project with so many partners globally," said Wildman. "We envision that this book will provide a valuable resource and inspiration for those in countries and regions where the importance of restoring riverine connectivity is newly gaining momentum. We hope it will help emphasize the importance of finding balanced and environmentally informed solutions when proposing additional utilization of public trust resources such as rivers.”
Approximately 40% of all fish species in the world reside in freshwater ecosystems, contributing economic and ecological benefits and value. It’s critical that we support efforts that aim to protect migratory fish species, reconnect rivers, sustain fish passage, and preserve free-flowing rivers by removing unnecessary dams, reconnecting floodplains, managing our water use, and managing hydropower for sustainable rivers.
Education and awareness building are key first steps in protecting rivers. From Sea to Source 2.0 seeks to inform, educate, and inspire those who want to know more about how to meet the challenges of restoring fish migration in rivers around the world. The book is regarded as a crucial resource in the ongoing fight to protect and preserve the enormous value of our waterways.
For thousands of years, river herring swam from the Atlantic Ocean through the Long Island Sound and up the Noroton River to spawn each spring. Then, they returned to the ocean until the next spawning season.
Back in the 1920s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration began connecting the country through a massive interstate highway system. As part of the infrastructure plan, hundreds of thousands of culverts were built across the U.S. with the intention of moving water quickly and efficiently. While that goal was met, many migratory fish and other aquatic organisms could not overcome the culverts’ high-velocity flows, shallow water depths, and perched outlets. This infrastructure prevented them from reaching their native migratory destinations.
By the late 1950s, Interstate 95 cut through Connecticut’s coastal rivers, and culverts were installed to convey river flows. Alewives, American Shad, Blueback Herring, and other native fish species were unable to navigate the culverts. Their populations dwindled to the point where Connecticut, along with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, instituted moratoriums on catching and keeping the valued forage fish.
Along the Noroton River, three parallel concrete culverts, each 300-feet long, 13-feet wide and 7-feet in height were installed, completely blocking upstream fish passage. In order to restore important fish populations and revitalize the Noroton River, Save the Sound launched a project that reopened approximately seven miles of the river, allowing migratory fish populations to safely and easily travel through the culverts to reach their original spawning habitat upstream.
The project is a collaboration among Save the Sound, Darien Land Trust, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP), Connecticut Department of Transportation, Princeton Hydro, and other partners. For the project, Princeton Hydro lead design engineering and guided the construction of the following elements to restore upstream fish passage:
Reopening river passage for migratory species will improve not only the health of the Noroton River itself, but will also benefit the overall ecosystem of Long Island Sound. Over the last decade, fish passage projects around the sound’s Connecticut and New York shores have dramatically increased freshwater spawning habitat for the foundational species whose return is restoring a more vibrant food web to the Long Island Sound.
Construction of the baffles and rock ramp were completed in time for the 2018 migratory season. Construction of the concrete weir is on temporary hold for low-flow conditions. On April 26, 2018, project partners gathered for a project celebration and the release of migratory fish by CTDEEP at an upstream location.
“It was fascinating to discuss a topic, such as the removal of dams, right as Brazil is focusing on building more hydro capacity,” said Laura. “Hopefully it is a sign that the hydro industry in Brazil, along with all the great Brazilian fisheries researchers, are quite forward thinking and are determined to maintain their country's rich species diversity while also enhancing their energy options.”
The workshop, hosted by CEMIG and held at UFMG, involved many universities, including our workshop host Paulo Pompeu from UFLA, Dr. Paul Kemp from University of Southhampton, Dr. Jesse O'Hanley of Kent Business School, and many others.
The gathering inspired a lot of interesting dialogue around dam removal, optimizing locations for new hydro facilities, and how to best sustain connectivity and species diversity. Laura’s presentation entitled "Dam removal in the United States" along with the other conference presentations will be available on the CEMIG website soon or check back here on the Princeton Hydro blog for presentation links.
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