The Clearinghouse for Dam Removal Information is an unbiased living receptacle of information about technical, fiscal and social aspects (pro and con) of dam removal, including cases where a decision is made to retain the dam. The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to allow all parties involved in dam removal decisions to share experiences, learn successful techniques and avoid repeating mistakes. In particular, it is trying to capture the "gray literature" that is transiently available when a dam removal is taking place or being considered.

The Clearinghouse allows users to find and submit summaries of completed or proposed projects, experiences with engineering design, dam removal costs, permitting, monitoring, predictive models, scientific studies, symposia, conference plans, and proceedings, reports, papers, presentations, images and more. The Clearinghouse also provides resources, such as an ongoing compilation of related Web sites, Case Studies, and Priority Issues - initially provided by the Aspen Institute.

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Status of Dams in the U.S.
Statistics from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) expose thousands of deficient or otherwise obsolete dams in the U.S. Click on a State below to view the status of state-regulated dams (this data does not include federal, private, or unregulated dams). View a larger Google map for a more manageable view. American Rivers has also compiled a 48p document (PDF) of dams slated for removal in 2007, as well as those removed 1999-2006.

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What the experts say

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