Would you remove a dam to save crayfish?
According to American Rivers, only 2500 (approx.) of the 75,000 (approx.) dams inventoried by the U.S. Corp of Engineers produce hydropower. Many dams, like the one that was built on Sevenmile Creek in Nashville, have outlived their original purpose which in this case, was unknown.
The Nashville Crayfish, orconectes shoupi, is Nashville’s only endangered species. The dam prevented the crayfish from moving freely through Sevenmile Creek to Mill Creek. According to Wendy Smith, of the Cumberland River Compact, “removing dams also improves communities because the water will need less filtering.”“If we just let the stream do what it’s supposed to do, we’ll all be better off”, said Gina Hancock, director of The Nature Conservancy. The dam was successfully removed this week after relocating over 500 Nashville Crayfish downstream to prevent harm from the removal debris. Read the full story here.
The Nashville Crayfish was added to the list of Federally endangered species on October 27th, 1986. Development of the area contributed to decline of its habitat which includes free-flowing waters over cobblestone bedrock.
Mr. Nat (i.e., “Dad”), says Let Rivers Flow!
Other Dam News:
Solar could overtake Hydropower as the #1 Power Source.
According to International Rivers: “Since 2010, wind and solar power capacity has grown…almost four times faster than large hydropower plants.” Also, “While governments and private investors favor wind and solar over hydropower, the World Bank and other international financial institutions continue to prioritize large dams.” Read the full story here.
Enjoyed an informative (and fun!) tour of the Bankhead reservoir of Black Warrior River, with Nelson Brooke – Riverkeeper, Jason Burnett, Rich Randolph and friends. Check out the Black Warrior Riverkeeper group here. A HUGE thank you to BWRK Executive Director, Charles Scribner, for catapulting the Let Rivers Flow Facebook page to well over 500 Likes!
Caught the infamous, Beth Young, left, wearing her Let Rivers Flow t-shirt. Beth made the Cahaba Lilies famous with her award winning photography and continues to shine bright.
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If you’ve got dam news to share, send it to me at info@letriversflow. |
