DAMS OUT

California has thousands of dams, from small earthen barriers to large dams hundreds of feet tall. More than 1,400 of those dams are large enough to fall under state safety regulations. A great number of them provide critical water supply, flood control, and hydroelectric power. But many have outlived their functional lifespan and the ecosystem and economic benefits of removal far outweigh the cost of leaving them in place.

By strategically pursuing opportunities for dam removal where economic, social, and environmental interests strongly align, CalTrout offers a model for restoring the health of the state’s rivers for the benefit of fish and people.

- Ted Grantham, Professor of Cooperative Extension, UC Berkeley, PPIC-CalTrout Ecosystem Fellow (2019-2020)

Top 6 California DAMS OUT


CalTrout’s Top 6 California DAMS OUT Report highlights six dams that are ripe for removal and that must, for the health of the ecosystem and communities around them, come out.

The Reconnect Habitat Initiative


Reconnecting Habitat is one of CalTrout’s key initiatives in its effort to return native fish to resilience. Removing barriers to fish passage and getting obsolete dams out are the key objectives. To learn more about the initiative, click here.

Top 6 Dams for Removal

Explore below each of our Top 6 dams that are ripe for removal and that must, for the health of the ecosystem and communities around them, come out.

Dams Out StoryMap

Explore the Dams Out ArcGIS StoryMap created by our Communications Team. The StoryMap guides viewers on an interactive journey through each of the dams included in CalTrout's 2022 Top 5 Dams Out Report. Explore photos, videos, maps, and more content to learn why it is so crucial that we get these five dams out. Keep scrolling to view the StoryMap or click the button below to view the StoryMap in a new tab.



View StoryMap

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Donate to our Reconnect Habitat Initiative today.

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