Volume 6, Number 1 • Spring 2004
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Dam Removal: Lessons Learned – Coming to a Region Near You! "There are few issues that excite more controversy amongst a significant portion of the engineering and environmental communities than the issue of removing a functioning dam. The parties often find themselves polarized with the one extreme seeing dam removal as an act of sacrilege while the other side sees it as an act of salvation. While there may be much sentiment attached to an older and non functioning structure there is generally a modicum of common sense that tells all of us that when a dam has outlived its physical life span it should be removed." -From the EWRI of ASCE Task Force – "White Paper on Removal of Functioning Dams."
EWRI is hosting Dam Removal: Lessons Learned, a series of two-day regional workshops focusing on past and recent dam removal projects and what can be learned from them. These workshops will focus on what has been learned from actual dam removal processes and will not debate individual views on overall pros and cons. This series of workshops continues the successful format of the first workshop held at Johns Hopkins University and is the result of recommendations made by both the Aspen Institute and the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment in their respective studies, "Dam Removal – New Option for a New Century," and "DAM REMOVAL – Science and Decision Making." Both reports noted that holding a workshop would improve communication across disciplinary boundaries. Ten Professional Development Hours (PDHs) can be earned through participation in one of these workshops. The workshops will feature six sessions including: Permitting; Economic Impacts; Biological Impacts; Social/Cultural Impacts; Aesthetics/Recreation; and Geomorphologic/Hydrologic Impacts. However, a large amount of functional overlap between the sessions is expected and will be encouraged. Each session will include a presentation by two dam removal professionals chosen to reflect diversity in experience and perspective, mixing both intra and extra regional experience to enhance dialogue and understanding. The workshops will close with an open discussion of means to improve cross disciplinary communication of lessons learned and improved decision making processes about dam removal. EWRI Governing Board members Don Phelps (DonPhelps@aol.com) and Kyle Schilling (gschilli@erols.com) are organizing the workshops. Registration is now open. Please visit http://www.ewrinstitute.org/damremoval04/ for more information and to register! EWRI staff members Gail Sor (gsor@asce.org) and Katie Gorscak (kgorscak@asce.org) may be contacted for additional workshop information. Plan to register for a workshop in your area!
Dam Removal - Westward Bound!University of MichiganJuly 12-13, 2004 The first stop for Dam Removal 2004 is Ann Arbor, Michigan-home of the University of Michigan Wolverines! The workshops will be held in the Dana Building, home of the School of Natural Resources and Environment. The Dana Building recently underwent a major renovation where its hundred-year-old infrastructure was updated and newer facilities were adapted. All aspects of this transformation were performed on an environmentally responsible level with all aspects of the building now demonstrating "Green" building practices. Featured speakers for this workshop include Joan Harn of the National Park Service on the topic of Permitting in addition to John Boland of Johns Hopkins University discussing the Economic Impacts of Dam Removal. University of California, Berkeley August 16-17, 2004 Sunny skies and the San Francisco Bay Area will be the beautiful backdrop for our second Dam Removal Workshop at the University of California, Berkeley. Founded in the 1860s, the University of California at Berkeley is renowned worldwide for the distinction of its faculty and students, the scope of its research and publications, and the quality of its libraries. The campus acts as an oasis of nature for this part of California where the wooded 178-acre central campus area is known for its architectural and historical landmarks. The workshops will be held in Evans Hall and will feature such speakers as Brian Rheinhart of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Aesthetics and Recreation as well as Mark Capelli of National Marine Fisheries Service discussing the Geomorphologic/Hydrologic Impacts of Dam Removal. Ft. Collins, Colorado August 30-31, 2004 Third in our workshop series, Ft. Collins, Colorado is often considered to be the pathway to the Rocky Mountains. Located sixty miles north of Denver, this bustling town boasts three hundred days of sunshine a year to complement its large array of outdoor activities. With forty parks within the city and a number of shopping districts and local attractions, Fort Collins is a great place for an extended visit. The workshop will be held in the recently renovated Fort Collins Marriott located just two miles from Colorado State University. Speakers from all over the country will be on hand at this workshop along with individuals from local universities including the University of Colorado are invited to present. |