Why Dismantle a Dam?

Dams don't last forever. Some of BC's aging dams are ready to be dismantled or "decommissioned" for several reasons:

Structural Safety — as concrete ages and weakens, some dams become unsafe to operate.
Reservoir Siltation — siltation will reduce the dam's ability to store water and produce electricity.
Marginal Benefits — poor design, inefficient turbines, or changing societal needs have made some old dams obsolete.
Ecological Damage — the damage caused to fish and other river-dependent animals makes some dams difficult if not impossible to justify from any perspective.

There are currently 2,200 dams in British Columbia, including both small and large structures. While many continue to provide important benefits to society (drinking water, irrigation, electricity, flood control), as many as 400 BC dams have outlived their usefulness and are eligible for removal.

For more information on dam decommissioning projects
happening across British Columbia, visit:

www.recovery.bcit.ca

Many Benefits Flow From Dam Removal

	FISH can travel upstream again when barriers are removed. On the Theodosia, dam removal will give salmon and steelhead access to more spawning habitat upstream of the dam.
	WILDLIFE thrive with the return of natural water levels. Increased flows will make side channels and ponds available to beaver, otter, birds, and amphibians.
	NATURAL FLOW REGIMES will restore the gravel and logs needed to rebuild healthy river habitat. Dam removal revives the cycle of seasonal flooding that delivers new gravel, cleans spawning beds, and arranges the complex structure of logs, boulders, and pools used by fish to rest and feed.
	RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL VALUES are restored for people. Recreationists can enjoy a restored Theodosia while the Sliammon First Nation and non-native fishers can once again reap the economic benefits of a multi-million dollar salmon fishery.