Rivers Are the Lifeblood of the World
Dam Removal, Hydrology, and the Case for Free-Flowing Rivers
Several years ago, I worked alongside a nonprofit advocating for the removal of an aging and structurally compromised dam on Little Sugar Creek in Northwest Arkansas. That barrier had long outlived its intended purpose. During heavy rain events it overtopped, debris collected against it, and water quality often declined during the summer. Eventually, after a major flood, the structure failed — not in spectacle, but in the predictable way that outdated infrastructure often does.
Rivers are not decorative features. They are working systems — conveyors of water, sediment, nutrients, temperature gradients, and biological connectivity. When water moves freely, ecosystems downstream respond accordingly. When flow is artificially held back, those processes change.
Across the United States, this dynamic is becoming increasingly visible. The country contains more than 550,000 dams of varying size and purpose, many of which were built decades ago (American Rivers, n.d.). Since formal tracking began in the early 20th century, more than 2,240 dams have been removed nationwide — the majority within the past few decades as restoration momentum has accelerated (American Rivers, n.d.).
In 2024 alone, 108 dams were removed across 27 states, reconnecting more than 2,500 miles of rivers and streams (American Rivers, 2024). These projects are not symbolic gestures. They restore longitudinal connectivity — the uninterrupted movement of water, sediment, nutrients, and aquatic species that healthy river systems depend on.
Well-documented restoration efforts, such as the removal of dams on Washington’s Elwha River, have demonstrated measurable ecological responses following reconnection, including the return of migratory fish species and sediment redistribution that reshapes floodplains (USGS, n.d.; NOAA Fisheries, n.d.).
Dams can serve essential purposes — drinking water, irrigation, hydroelectric generation, flood control. But many aging structures no longer meet their original objectives while continuing to impose ecological costs (American Rivers, 2024).
Little Sugar Creek had become one of those cases.
During the summer months, stagnant water fostered algae blooms and diminished oxygen levels. After storms, trash and debris accumulated against the barrier. The impoundment limited natural flow, transforming a dynamic stream into a contained basin with reduced ecological function.
Free-flowing rivers are adaptive systems. They respond to rainfall variability. They distribute nutrients downstream. They shape soil composition and replenish floodplains. When these processes are restored, communities often see improvements not only in water quality and habitat, but in recreational access and educational opportunity.
As someone trained in outdoor recreation leadership and environmental education, I have seen firsthand how access to functioning waterways shapes ecological literacy. Rivers serve as living classrooms. They provide tangible demonstrations of hydrology, habitat connectivity, and watershed stewardship.
Beyond recreation and education lies a more fundamental truth:
Rivers are connective tissue.
They bind uplands to floodplains, forests to estuaries, and communities to watersheds. When those connections are severed, the impact accumulates quietly — altered sediment loads, reduced fish passage, declining biodiversity, increased maintenance costs, and diminished resilience.
Dam removal is not a universal prescription. Each structure must be evaluated on its functional purpose, safety, ecological impact, and long-term cost. But the growing national body of restoration work shows a consistent pattern: when flow is reestablished, ecological function often improves (American Rivers, n.d.; USGS, n.d.).
The eventual collapse of the Little Sugar Creek dam was not simply a structural failure. It was a reminder that hydrology ultimately operates on longer timelines than infrastructure.
Water will reassert its path.
The question is whether we design our communities in alignment with that reality — or continue retrofitting ecosystems around outdated barriers.
Healthy rivers are not luxuries.
They are foundational systems.
And when we restore their movement, we restore far more than current.
References
American Rivers. (2024). Report: 2024 tied for most dams removed in U.S., underscoring momentum for river restoration. https://www.americanrivers.org/media-item/american-rivers-report-2024-tied-for-most-ever-dams-removed-in-us-underscoring-momentum-for-river-restoration/
American Rivers. (n.d.). Dam removal database. https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/restoring-damaged-rivers/dam-removal-map/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries). (n.d.). Dam removal science and restoration efforts. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/habitat-conservation#dam-removal
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (n.d.). Elwha River restoration. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/elwha-river-restoration