Prioritizing a failing dam for removal
This Aquatic Barrier Inventory tool will enable partners to identify and prioritize aging dams for removal, such as the Roaring River Dam in Tennessee removed in 2017. At 220 feet wide and 15 tall, this dam is the largest removed in Tennessee for river and stream restoration.
Built in 1976 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep reservoir fish species from migrating upstream, partners determined that this deteriorating dam no longer met its original purpose. Instead of repairing the dam, partners decided that it would be better to remove the dam altogether in order to restore aquatic connectivity. Partners working on this project included the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership.
