OXIDES OF NITROGEN Lauren Kastner, Matthew Sullivan, Kristen Hackman.
New Attitudes Toward Sediment...
Transcript of New Attitudes Toward Sediment...
New Attitudes Toward Sediment
Management
Alex Hackman
Restoration Specialist
Division of Ecological Restoration
Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
Environmental Business Council of New England
Energy Environment Economy
Sediment Management and Dam Removals – New Attitudes
Alex Hackman, Restoration Specialist Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Division of Ecological Restoration [email protected] March 4, 2014
Mission: To restore and protect the health and integrity of the Commonwealth's rivers, wetlands, and watersheds for the benefit of people, fish, and wildlife
Physical restoration projects and... • Stream flow monitoring and restoration
• Technical assistance
• Adopt-a-Stream
• Outreach / Education
• Trainings
• Policy
Outline
1. Context – National and local
trends in dam removal
2. New attitudes about sediment
3. Tips for smart sediment management
4. Examples
5. Discussion
Dam and drained impoundment, Pittsfield (low flow 4/2012)
www.nps.gov
www.nytimes.com
Great Works Dam in Maine - Penobscot River Elwha Dam in Washington – Elwha River
West East
www.nps.gov
Big dam removals
are now happening in
the United States
National Context
Glines Canyon Dam, Elwha River, Washington Condit Dam Link (WA)
1 year post dam removal
Elwha River 34 million CY released downstream
Credit: http://e360.yale.edu
http://www.cas.umt.edu/geosciences
Condit Dam Removal Sediment Management National Context
More than 3,000 dams in MA • 43 are flood control dams • 44 licensed hydropower dams • 164 water supply dams • Federal, state, NGO, municipal owners
Most mills are gone, but many dams remain
The ‘Perfect Storm’ for Dam Removal in MA
Bartlett Rod Shop Co. Dam Amethyst Brook, Pelham • Aging structures
o Increasing risks (climate change)
• Failures, threats, and evacuations
• Owner liability – legal and financial
o MA Office of Dam Safety
North River (Colrain) after Tropical Storm Irene
Local Context
The Perfect Storm Cont.
• Easing regulatory climate (and more to come)
• Funding sources for removal
• Increasing interest and involvement in the dam removal movement
• In recent years – many successful projects
Jones River Watershed Association – Wapping Road Dam Removal Celebration
Dam Removal – Framing Solutions to Problems
• Decommission aging infrastructure
• Eliminate risk and liability
• Enhance flood storage capacity
• Improve ecological conditions
Tip
Beyond just FISH PASSAGE
Process-based Restoration1
1. Focus on drivers of ecosystem structure and function (ecological processes)
• E.g. Movement of water, sediment, organic matter, nutrients, and organisms across the landscape
2. Identify stressors, take actions to relieve stress
3. Mother Nature and Father Time
1 See T. Beechie et al (2010). Process-based Principles for Restoring River Ecosystems. BioScience (60) 3: 209- 222.
Dams alter critical river processes – Sediment regime at Amethyst Brook