Would Removing Dams Restore Wild Salmon Runs?

Hydroelectric dams harnessed U.S. rivers and brought light into the darkness in a cleaner, more sustainable way than most other power plants could claim. But the dams also created an impenetrable barrier that blocked migrating salmon, making it impossible for them to reach the sea or return to their spawning grounds. Over the past century, many wild salmon runs have been decimated or destroyed, but today many dams are being studied for possible removal, which could create a new era of restoration for wild salmon runs. Learn more about the relationship between dams and salmon, and what can be done to restore wild salmon runs without turning out the lights.

_{Photo by Matthew Hull}