CORVALLIS, Ore. – Using an analysis of more than 650 dam removal projects over a 55-year period, Oregon State University researchers have developed a tool to better predict dam removal costs, the college said.
OSU said that the development is timely, given the increasing awareness of the adverse effects of dams on ecosystems and as many dams are being removed due to aging, poor condition, or the costliness to repair them, among other reasons.
“The results help us get beyond the common perception of ‘every dam removal is different,’” said Desiree Tullos, a water resources engineer at OSU. “That’s still true, but these databases give us a sense of the common and divergent features of dam removals across the U.S. When working through detailed costs with practitioners, we found that height isn’t always the best predictor of cost. Other factors like site restoration, mitigation of potential negative impacts of dam removal and sediment management can be major cost drivers, and those are often dependent on the preferences of local regulators and interested parties.”
The Eugene Water and Electric Board voted in January 2023 to decommission the Leaburg Hydroelectric Project due to the costs associated with bringing the site up to modern standards. EWEB’s decision followed an assessment that began in 2018, the utility company said.
Eugene Water and Electric Board to decommission Leaburg Hydroelectric Project
OSU said that in four 10-year periods beginning in 1976 and ending in 2015, the number of dams removed nationwide increased from 45 to 139, to 313 to 637. The northwest region accounted for the highest costs for dam removal, totaling $775.8 million and more than three times the second-place Midwest region’s costs, the college said.
Dam height, followed by average river discharge and project complexity, is the primary driver of project costs for dam removal, according to OSU’s research. The college said researchers the inflation-adjusted costs for removing 668 dams removed between 1965 and 2020 totaled $1.52 billion.
