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The United States has been transitioning from a period of building dams to one focused on managing—and often removing--the aging infrastructure for economic, public safety, and environmental reasons. For example, $733 Million is being awarded to update or remove dams nationwide as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. However, this will only cover a fraction of the estimated 4,000 ‒36,000 total removals anticipated by 2050 in the United States.

In a recent news release from Oregon State University, scientists share a new tool for predicting dam removal costs. The release coincides with a paper published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution and its companion USGS Data Release. Western Fisheries Research Center’s Research Ecologist Jeffery Duda, along with collaborators from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Georgia, Oregon State University, Bureau of Reclamation, and other U.S. Geological centers have assembled reported costs of 668 dam removals covering 55 years of past dam removal projects. 

They’ve used this information to create a user-friendly tool that can help managers and decision makers make critical decisions regarding whether and if so, how to plan, prioritize and execute dame removals. The tool predicts dam removal costs by looking at geographic patterns of dam removal costs, inflation, and other various factors that drive project costs.

In the face of aging infrastructure and climate change impacts, our role in providing accurate data on dam removals is critical now more than ever to support decision makers and the public when assessing whether a given dam should be removed, repaired, or rebuilt.

Recent media coverage in the region:

Bioengineer. July 25, 2023. Scientists develop tool to predict dam removal costs by analyzing 55 years of past removals. Science News. https://bioengineer.org/scientists-develop-tool-to-predict-dam-removal-costs-by-analyzing-55-years-of-past-removals/

KTVZ news sources. July 25, 2023. OSU scientists help develop tool to predict dam removal costs by analyzing 55 years of past removals. https://ktvz.com/news/oregon-northwest/2023/07/25/osu-scientists-help-develop-tool-to-predict-dam-removal-costs-by-analyzing-55-years-of-past-removals/

Science Magazine, Technology and Engineering. July 25, 2023. Scientists develop tool to predict dam removal costs by analyzing 55 years of past removals. https://scienmag.com/scientists-develop-tool-to-predict-dam-removal-costs-by-analyzing-55-years-of-past-removals/

Bonham, R. July 25, 2023. OSU researchers develop tool to better predict dam removal costs. NewsWatch. https://www.kdrv.com/news/regional/osu-researchers-develop-tool-to-better-predict-dam-removal-costs/article_d9967784-f99a-58e6-8ff1-906081456387.html

Nealon, S. July 25, 2023. Scientists develop tool to predict dam removal costs by analyzing 55 years of past removals. Oregon State University. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-tool-years.html

Acorn, M. July 26, 2023. Tool developed by scientists uses 55 years of historical data to predict dam removal costs. SWIFTTELECAST. https://swifttelecast.com/tool-developed-by-scientists-uses-55-years-of-historical-data-to-predict-dam-removal-costs/

River Basin Center, University of Georgia. July 26, 2023. Scientists develop tool to predict dam removal costs by analyzing 55 years of past removals. News - The River Basin Center (uga.edu)

Nealon, S. July 27, 2023. Scientists develop tool to predict dam removal costs by analyzing 55 years of past removals. Highway 58 Herald, Oregon News. https://highway58herald.org/scientists-develop-tool-to-predict-dam-removal-costs-by-analyzing-55-years-of-past-removals/

Kgw.com. July 30, 2023. New OSU study focuses on dam removal costs. New OSU study focuses on dam removal costs | kgw.com

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