This project examines environmental conflicts surrounding proposed and completed cases of dam removal in the northeastern United States, focusing in particular on the social dimensions of these conflicts. Over the past several decades more than 900 mostly small dams in the United States have been removed due to increasing public concern over the safety of aging dams, an unwillingness to invest scarce resources in infrastructure repair, and a growing interest in restoring degraded ecosystems. Despite a decade's worth of research on the legal, social, economic and cultural dimensions of dam removal, there remains a vital need for comprehensive research on the multiple facets of the dam removal process, particularly in cases that generate conflicts among state agencies, environmental advocacy groups and local communities. The research asks the following questions. What are the biophysical and social characteristics of locations targeted for dam removal? What are the key technical, economic and environmental rationales driving dam removal processes? How do scientific knowledge and cultural values shape the dam removal process and generate conflicts? Considering debates on the origins of environmental conflicts and the way in which landscapes reflect cultural attitudes, the research sheds light on the shifting character of environmental politics in the United States as revealed through contestation over dam removal. This study uses both quantitative and qualitative techniques, including geographic information system (GIS) technologies and semi-structured interviews, to analyze more than 100 dam removals in New England, creating a regional assessment that analyzes both the environmental and social dimensions of the removal process.
The investigators anticipate that stakeholders, including government agencies, environmental groups, and community organizations, will use the results of this research to advance ongoing studies on watershed restoration and encourage more informed national dialogues on dam removal and ecological restoration. This project will offer significant training and research opportunities for Dartmouth undergraduate students (particularly those participating in the Women in Science Program) in combined qualitative-quantitative methodologies. The collaborative team of physical, geospatial, and social scientists will serve as an important template for future inter- and intra-disciplinary studies in geography and spatial sciences.
