Dam removal report is out : Record year for dam removals in Europe as report warns of safety risks of ageing barriers

Groningen, le Puy en Velay, 15 April 2024 – A staggering surge in dam removals resulted in almost 500 barriers being removed from European rivers in 2023, according to a report published today by Dam Removal Europe.

 

In line with EU’s biodiversity targets, the momentum behind dam removal continues to grow. As shown in the report, a remarkable 487 barriers were removed in 15 European countries, in 2023. These initiatives have led to the reconnection of over 4300 kilometers of river habitat, fostering biodiversity, restoring natural ecosystems and enhancing their resilience, which is critical for communities, economies and nature. Spain, which had been crowned the trailblazer of barrier removal in Europe for two years in a row, was dethroned by France and now occupies second place, followed by Sweden and Denmark.

 

“It is amazing to witness another record-breaking year for dam removals in European rivers. Almost 500 barriers – a 50% increase from the report published last year. It shows the movement is growing fast and brings new hope for the thriving of free-flowing rivers and people”, celebrated Herman Wanningen, Founder & Director of The World Fish Migration Foundation.

“France has been removing obstacles from its rivers for many years, as far back as 1997 on the Loire. We are delighted that the idea of free-flowing rivers is gaining ground in other European countries. Restoring free-flowing rivers is a truly effective solution for restoring the functionality and life of rivers,” says Roberto Epple, President of the European Rivers Network and co-founder of Dam Removal Europe. Roberto Epple also points out that “The policy for restoring rivers in France is an example elsewhere in Europe and remains inspiring. The Water Agencies have an essential role that must be supported and strengthened to meet the many challenges ahead.

 

But it’s not all good news, as the Nature Restoration Law is currently in limbo after it failed at the final hurdle, when it was unable to secure enough votes in the Council of Europe. The law includes a critical target for the restoration of 25000 km of river through dam removals.

 

While celebrating the movement expansion and highlighting special cases, the report also warns against safety risks posed by obsolete river barriers. For centuries, European rivers have been fragmented by more than 1.2 million barriers, posing significant hazards to both human life and wildlife. Dams, in particular weirs (low-head dams), have been identified as potential “drowning machines”, due to the formation of an inescapably strong subsurface current. Currently, there is no overview of the accidents that occur in European rivers, so Dam Removal Europe made the first attempt to collect information and increase awareness of the safety risks that dams may pose to swimmers, kayakers, and other recreational river users. It was found that in past years 82 incidents occurred in 16 countries, which resulted in 129 fatalities. In 80.5% of the incidents there was at least one death. Another worrying number is revealed when looking at the victims’ ages range, which was from 2 to 59 years old, and most were in their mid-20s to mid-30s.

 

Adding to this, climate change and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events, paired with ageing dams unfit for current climate conditions, elevate the threat of collapsing dams. From loss of human life to displacement of communities, economic losses, and extensive environmental and property damage, the danger of dam failures is not a scenario to be ignored. With over 150,000 obsolete dams scattered across Europe, the potential for catastrophic failures presents a significant risk for nearby communities. It’s already happening.

 

Last year, at least three river barriers collapsed due to heavy rain in Norway, Northern Ireland, and Slovenia. A dam at the Braskereidfoss hydroelectric power plant on the Glåma River, in Norway, partially burst following days of heavy rain that triggered landslides and flooding and forced downstream communities to evacuate. Another dam broke at Mur River, in Slovenia, causing about 500 people to evacuate their village. At Lagan River near Lisburn, Northern Ireland, a weir also collapsed – the second failure of this barrier in less than a year.

 

Herman Wanningen draws attention to the need to remove these obsolete barriers and prevent future disasters: “We have built these structures for a reason and it’s good to acknowledge this. Think about watermills at factories, irrigation, water level management, producing hydropower and navigation locks. But these structures were built in different climate conditions and are ageing. It’s time to re-think the way we are managing rivers and open them up again. Free flowing rivers is the new way forward if we want to save nature and people. A river that does not flow freely is slowly dying”.

 

Looking ahead, the European dam removal movement shows no signs of slowing down, with numerous projects slated for 2024 and an increasing network of over six thousand individuals, which has played a pivotal role in raising awareness and driving action across the continent.

 

Several significant barrier removal projects are on the horizon for the near future. Croatia is set to proceed with the removal of eight barriers, including parts of old mills and remains of older infrastructure, in Plitvice during April and May, with the aim of restoring natural river flow and biodiversity. Romania is also gearing up for its first barrier removal scheduled for May, a move anticipated to enhance river connectivity and ecosystem health. In Spain, the Catalan Water Agency plans to commence dam removal in Colonia del Rio in June, continuing its proactive approach towards river and ecological restoration in the country.

 

The report is officially launched today at the Free Flow Conference, an event co-organized by the World Fish Migration Foundation and the Institute of Fisheries Management, taking place in the wonderful city of Groningen in The Netherlands.

 

Full report is available at the Dam Removal Europe website: http://damremoval.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Web-version_DRE-Report-2023.pdf
Download press release in french, in english.

 

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Quick facts and Editor’s Notes:

  • 487 removed barriers reported in 2023 in 15 European countries – a 49.8% increase from the previous year!
  • Through these dam removals, more than 4300 km of river habitat were reconnected.
  • France was the trailblazer of barrier removal in Europe, followed by Spain, Sweden and Denmark.
  • 78% of the removed barriers were lower than 2 meters high. 46% of the removed barriers were weirs and 36% were culverts. Dam was the next most common type of the removed barriers (12%).
  • Most barrier removals occurred in West and North Europe, regions where barrier density is higher. Nevertheless, this river restoration tool is gaining attention in other regions, like the Balkans, through an Open Rivers Programme-funded project to scale up dam removal in Southeastern Europe.
  • Official Dam Removal Europe’s website: http://damremoval.eu
  • In France, in 2023 ERN supported a major river restoration project. In agreement with the owners, the Syndicat mixte des bassins Bandiat Tardoire removed four obstacles, including the weirs of old mills that had been abandoned and were in a poor state of repair. The work enabled 30 km of river to be reopened, on a watercourse classified as having a high eel population. The project was funded by Open Rivers. https://www.ern.org/fr/effacement-de-4-seuils-sur-la-tardoire-bv-charente/

 

 

Contacts:

  

About Dam Removal Europe

Dam Removal Europe (DRE) is a coalition of 7 organizations: the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Rivers Trust, The Nature Conservancy, the European Rivers Network, Rewilding Europe, Wetlands International, and the World Fish Migration Foundation. The ambition of DRE is to restore the free-flowing state of rivers and streams in Europe. In that respect, DRE aims to establish barrier removal as a restoration tool and to mainstream this practice. More information: www.damremoval.eu 

The removal of the Urrutienea dam in France, finalist in the European prize for the removal of dams 2023, votes are open

The removal of the Urrutienea dam on the River Nivelle in France has been selected to compete for the European prize for the removal of dams.

3 projects have been shortlisted: “Removal of the Urrutienea dam on the River Nivelle in France”, “Removal of the Garlogie dam in Scotland” and “Removal of the Vaqueiros weir in Portugal”. You can now vote for your favourite. Voting is open until 22 March at 11:59. Vote now! Dam Removal Award Nominees 2023 – Dam Removal Europe 

Focus on the project on the Nivelle, the other projects can be found on the DRE website.

At the heart of a cross-border landscape between Spain and France, the Nivelle is a river rich in biodiversity and is a major centre of interest for this tourist region in summer. The 5-metre-high dam had been out of action for 10 years! An impassable barrier for migratory fish, in particular salmon, eels and other emblematic species (freshwater pearl mussels, Pyrenean Desman, European otters, white-clawed crayfish and others). The fishing federation, which initiated the project, bought the site in order to dismantle it completely. On the Spanish side, their partners had already worked on removing the obstacles, and they knew that this dam was the last completely impassable dam on the Nivelle.

Their main obstacle was to convince the local authorities that economic development (hydroelectricity) could not be achieved at the expense of local biodiversity. All in all, it took 20 years to break the deadlock!

Just two months after completion of the work, the results are extraordinary. The first Atlantic salmon spawning grounds located 6 km upstream of the dam were observed in Spain – for the first time in several centuries!

The work carried out in parallel since 2020 to conserve and restore the freshwater pearl mussel on the Nivelle has also been decisive. This species, the only one genetically unique in the Pyrenees, lives in symbiosis with salmon. These actions include reproduction to boost the natural population, which was threatened with extinction within the next 10 years. Removing the dam was therefore essential to restoring the habitat and reclaiming the whole of the upstream catchment.

Numerous partners were involved in the project: scientific research bodies (INRAE), associations (AAPPMA Nivelle, CEN Nouvelle Aquitaine, MIGRADOUR), the Government of Navarre, the vocational college (which houses the facilities for the ex-situ pearl mussel rearing project), and foundations (Fondation française des pêcheurs, Fondation Arcadia – Open Rivers Programme).

 

The Dam Removal Award is organised by Dam Removal Europe, the World Fish Migration Foundation, the European Investment Bank, and The Nature Conservancy, supported by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, Forest Peace Foundation and ABN AMRO Bank. The most inspiring project will be awarded a special trophy and 15.000 Euros towards the team’s next removal project, and the winner will be revealed during the upcoming Free Flow Conference in Groningen, The Netherlands. 

 

 

 

logo Living Rivers Europe

Open letter: Nature-based water resilience cannot wait

The 🇪🇺 has dropped an essential plan to make Europe more water resilient 🤯

Floods & droughts are worsening, we must be prepared!

Today, 28 organisations, including NGOs, city networks, sustainable farmers, trade unions and professional associations, are calling on the @EUCommissionto put a nature-based EU Water Resilience Initiative back on the agenda before the 2024 🇪🇺 elections.

Presented as an end-of-term priority by the President of the European Commission, this communication was announced for 12 March, before finally being postponed to an unknown date. However in the face of more intense and frequent extreme weather events related to climate change, the EU should accelerate its action to address recurrent water scarcity and protect society against the effects of droughts, floods, wildfires and sea level rise. Achieving water resilience through nature based solutions should be a political priority under the next European Commission, with healthy freshwater and marine ecosystems – rivers, lakes, wetlands, deltas and coastal areas – at its core.

Read our open letter to @vonderleyen

Protest on the Albanian Shushica River: Vjosa National Park in danger

++ An entire valley stands up against the diversion of its water: On Saturday, 24 February, the mayors from the Shushica Valley gathered to protest the nature-destroying plans for the Shushica ++ Albanian government wants to divert the water from the Vjosa tributary ++ Vjosa National Park in danger after just one year ++

Press release from EuroNatur, Eco Albania and Riverwatch

Radolfzell, Vienna, Tirana, Kuç. 12 mayors and numerous other residents of the Shushica Valley and other regions of the Vjosa National Park, activists, lawyers and scientists gathered this morning in the village of Kuç on the banks of the Shushica River. They are protesting the plans of the government in Tirana to take the water from the Shushica and channel it to the Mediterranean coast 17 kilometres away in Himara to promote mass tourism there.

Officially declared in March 2023, the Vjosa Wild River National Park encompasses the Vjosa and its key tributaries, including the Shushica. However, less than a year later, the Shushica faces potential removal from protected status, leading to the “amputation” of the Vjosa National Park. The proposed withdrawal of 140 litres of water per second from the Shushica would completely dry up the upper river reaches during summer. This poses a significant threat to biodiversity and has severe repercussions for the local population in around 30 affected villages. The intervention may lead to the exclusion of the Shushica from the national park, as such measures are prohibited in this protection category, depriving the local community of the benefits of ecotourism.

Elidon Kamaj – Mayor of Brataj says : “We had high hopes for the national park as we anticipated it would boost economic development. Given our region’s challenges with emigration, establishing the national park held the promise of transformative change for us. However, if our water is now taken away and Shushica loses its national park status, our economic future will be at stake.”

The German development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) are financing the project, and the Austrian company STRABAG is carrying out the construction work. The ministries’ approvals and the financing were based on a completely flawed environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). The consequences of the project for the Shushica were not analysed, and the people living along the Shushica were not informed. National and international scientists who reviewed these analyses concluded “…the results are misleading and incorrect.” (see attachement).

“We won’t stand by as our water is stolen from us. This project was never communicated to us; its existence only came to light when the construction equipment showed up. We won’t tolerate our water being taken away, and we are prepared to take action to halt the construction.” More than 50 residents filed a lawsuit against this project together with the Albanian nature conservation organisation EcoAlbania. The first court hearing is still pending, declares Astrit Balilaj – Mayor of Kuçi.

“The risk lies in the potential for the water diversion on the Shushica to set a precedent. The actions unfolding today on the Shushica might repeat tomorrow in other sections of the national park. The credibility of the entire Wild River National Park is at stake,” says Olsi Nika, Executive Director of EcoAlbania.

“The Wild River National Park is based on a largely natural, undisturbed water balance in its network of veins. This is what makes this area so unique, which is why people from all over Europe come here. This diversion project, therefore, jeopardises the entire national park. Germany and the WBIF must withdraw from the project if Albania does not stop the construction work immediately and order a real EIA,” says Ulrich Eichelmann, Executive Director of Riverwatch.

“The Albanian government has probably assumed that we will turn a blind eye to one or two nature-destroying projects in return for the designation of the Vjosa National Park, but we will not compromise. We will not give up until the Vjosa and its tributaries are truly safe!” says Annette Spangenberg, Head of Nature Conservation at EuroNatur.

The joint demands of the local residents, mayors, scientists and activists can be summarised as follows:

  1. Halt construction immediately.
  2. Conduct a new environmental impact assessment.
  3. Identify and analyse alternative water resources for the coastal area around Himara as part of the EIA, with the help of national and international experts.

Background information:

– Joint press release by EuroNatur, Eco Albania and Riverwatch,

– In March 2023, the Vjosa National Park was established in Albania, Europe’s first wild river conservation area, which encompasses a total of 404 kilometres of the Vjosa river network with its tributaries Shushica, Drino and Bënça. After less than a year, the national park is now in danger; construction work is already well advanced and is due to be completed in August this year.

– The nature-destroying project has so far also been financed with German taxpayers’ money, namely with funds from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

– EIA & position paper available on demand

– The “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign aims to protect rivers with particularly high natural value on the Balkan Peninsula, which are threatened by more than 3,400 hydropower projects and other nature-destroying plans. The campaign is coordinated by the international nature conservation organisations Riverwatch and EuroNatur and implemented together with partner organisations in the Balkan countries. The local partner in Albania is EcoAlbania. Further information can be found at https://balkanrivers.net

– The campaign is supported by the Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung, among others.

Logo Openrivers

Open Rivers Programme call open and helpdesk support

the Open Rivers Programme call will be opening shortly, on 21 February.

 

The call will be for barrier identification projects, preparation and demolition. Just a reminder that ORP have also extended the opportunity for public entities to apply. There are however restrictions to consider, including 50% co-funding.

 

A DRE helpdesk is in place to support organisations from South Eastern Europe with their applications, an initiative coordinated by WWF, WFMF and ERN, through funding from Open Rivers Programme project “Scaling Up Dam Removal in South Eastern Europe”.

 

If you are thinking about developing a dam removal project, please join us in a series of meetings where we will explain more about Open Rivers Programme, help review your proposal and where you can gain valuable insights from ORP grantees.

 

Important information for those of you who are planning to submit an ORP

  1. Magda Jentgena from WWF Latvia will be presenting about her project on 22 Feb 11:00 CET. Please join us, to celebrate Magda’s work and to hear more about the Dam removal work in Latvia!
  2. There are a series of meetings to explain more about ORP funding and discuss the Expression of Interest and how we can help you in the process (introduction, review process & Q&A) hosted by the DRE Helpdesk. Please choose one of these dates to participate (28 Feb, 7 March, 14 March).
  3. If you would like to make use of the Helpdesk review process. The internal deadline is 14 March (this takes into account easter holidays).
  4. ORP will host a Q&A on 12 March at 16:00-17:00. This is coordinated by ORP. As soon as we have information regarding registration, we will let you know.

Read the helpdesk flyer to find out more about what we can do for you.

Let corinne.ronot@rivernet.org  know if you are taking part in one of these meetings, so that we can send you the links.

Historic milestone for rivers: Emptying of the Iron Gate dam on the Klamath River to prepare its removal

The largest dam removal and river restoration project in the history of the United States is taking a major step toward the removal of all hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in northern California and southern Oregon. The drawdown (draining) of Iron Gate Reservoir began early January so that Iron Gate Dam can be removed later this year. Two other dams, Copco #1 and JC Boyle, will likewise begin to drain in the coming weeks and be fully removed in the summer/fall timeframe. Copco #2, the smallest of the four dams slated for removal, was demolished in October 2023.

IRONGATE dam Klamath

For more than 100 years, these artificial barriers have blocked the migration of several species, like salmon and steelhead trout, impeding them from reaching over 400 miles of habitat. Not only the animals have been harmed. Water quality has been severely damaged, impacting the Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk tribal communities whose livelihoods depend on a healthy river.

To turn the tide, this monumental project symbolizes a collective effort to repair a century of obstruction to fish migration, celebrate indigenous heritage, and ensure the long-term vitality of the Klamath River ecosystem. The project integrates the growing movement to remove more dams and free rivers across the USA, a trend that has also been scaling up in Europe in the past decade through the combined action of several organisations integrating the Dam Removal Europe coalition.

This article is an extract from the article published by Dam Removal Europe (read the complet article)

A dam project on the last wild stretch of the Rhône river!

The STOP Barrage Rhonergia collective is alerting the public to the construction by CNR of a hydroelectric dam on the last wild stretch of the Rhône river in the communes of St Romain de Jalionas (38) and Loyettes (01). This old-fashioned project, already abandoned in 1990, is a waste of public money, even though it will provide little energy. It is a project with irreversible impacts on an already fragile biodiversity.

Prior consultation on the Rhônergia project began on 1 December 2023, for a statutory period of 3 months, until 29 February 2024, in parallel with the initial studies.

You can consult the contributions on the consultation site managed by the CNDP by clicking on the following link ACCESS TO CONTRIBUTIONS and contribute yourself if you have any information.

Studies are available, including one by ZABR on the risks downstream of the project (drinking water supply for the Lyon conurbation, pollution, river level and temperature) https://concertation-rhonergia.fr/fr/documentation 

A call for alternative solutions has also been launched: https://concertation-rhonergia.fr/fr/la-concertation/les-alternatives-l-appel-a-contribution . These alternatives will be presented to the general public at the public meeting (open to all) on Tuesday 23 January 2024 in Saint-Vulbas.

Sign the petition to say no to the dam project: https://www.change.org/p/stop-au-barrage-rhonergia-sur-le-dernier-tron%C3%A7on-sauvage-du-fleuve-rh%C3%B4ne
For more information, see the collective’s website: https://www.stopbarrage.fr/ The collective is apolitical, made up of citizens from nearly 20 communes in our region.
Website dedicated to the consultation: https://concertation-rhonergia.fr/fr/le-projet

Read ERN-SOS Loire Vivante contribution

15 days to go until 2 February, World Wetlands Day!

In a couple of weeks, we’ll be celebrating wetlands all over France and the world!

530 events have already been approved for WWD 2024.

From 2 to 29 February, organise or take part in an event on the theme: “Wetlands, sources of human well-being”.

Our 2023-2024 webinars are online: flood risk, ecological continuity, hydric stress, etc.

With between 70 and 90 people registered for each webinar, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN is helping to raise awareness of the issues surrounding water and rivers.
Watch the replays of our webinars from December 2023 and January 2024 (french only):

9 January 2024: Flood risk: “How can technology help us respond better to flood risk?” more info and programme here
19 December 2023: Law, Hydro & Ecological Continuity, more info and programme here , organised in partnership with Réseau RivièresTV, the Centre de Ressources Cours d’eau and supported by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB)
5 December 2023: Water stress and water savings on the Allier, more info and programme here

All our webinars since 2020 (french only)

30 years of the victory for a living Loire

On 4 January 1994, precisely 30 years ago, the Interministerial Council decided to definitively abandon the construction of the large Serre de la Fare dam. This was a major victory for the Loire and SOS Loire Vivante, supported by numerous NGOs.

See our press release for the 30th anniversary of the victory (french only)

At the same time, Michel Barnier, then Minister for the Environment, published the first Plan Loire Grandeur Nature, which not only included the abandonment of the Serre de la Fare, but also blocked other dam projects and launched a brand new exemplary policy for the management of the Loire River.

This decision put an end to 5 years of occupation of the site (Plage au Pont de Chadron).

“We want to be proud of the Loire, proud of a beautiful, free, natural Loire and proud of a living, active, enterprising Loire”.
– Michel Barnier, former French Minister for the Environment –

To find out more about the Plan Loire Grandeur Nature, visit our page on the subject: https://www.ern.org/fr/le-plan-loire-grandeur-nature/ (french only)