How CDRI began

CDRI began in 2006 in response to a recommendation made in the Aspen Institute report, Dam Removal: A New Option for a New Century (2002). The steering committee includes Joan Harn (National Park Service), Marcin Whitman (California Department of Fish and Game), Laura Wildman (Princeton Hydro, LLC; previously at American Rivers), and Meg Galloway (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). The University of California’s Water Resources Center Archives hosts and maintains CDRI.

How CDRI can help you

CDRI is the most efficient way to start your search for dam removal information. CDRI collects grant proposals, settlement agreements, engineering design plans, cost estimates, modeling data and analyses, monitoring reports, presentations, photos, videos, etc. Simply enter your search terms and find information on specific projects and the latest techniques in the field.

CDRI also keeps you informed on newspaper articles, upcoming events, conferences and trainings, and videos related to dam removal.

How you can help CDRI

If you work on dam removal projects, you can help CDRI by submitting your work. It’s easy to submit documents through the CDRI website, or contact us if you would like assistance submitting your work.

How CDRI is funded

CDRI is an unfunded operation. Short-term monies have been graciously provided by California Department of Fish & Game, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. These funds have been utilized to support graduate and undergraduate student interns to perform outreach, populate the database, and design the website. The Water Resources Center Archives' staff graciously continues to support CDRI by managing the effort, hosting the website and database, and producing outreach materials.

Special thanks to the interns and to those who have leant their financial and technical support to CDRI.

Scientists sampled the flow of water and sediment before and after Marmot Dam on the Sandy River in Oregon was removed in October 2007. Photo courtesy of United States Geological Survey.

According to the experts...

“Dam removals provide an extraordinary opportunity to learn from our interventions in rivers. The Clearinghouse for Dam Removal Information can play a vital role in making these experiences accessible to researchers and practitioners, and thereby contribute to greatly improved understanding of the science and practice of dam removal and river restoration”
G.M. Kondolf
University of California, Berkeley