Dam removal on the Middle Fork Nooksack River, Washington | Brett Baunton
Across the nation, dams are deteriorating while the storms pounding them grow stronger and more frequent. This means a growing number of disasters and an unacceptable level of flood risk are realities for downstream communities. Lives, homes, and livelihoods hang in the balance, even as dam safety oversight and funding are being eliminated in Congress.
When dams fail, a wall of water surges downstream, destroying everything in its path. In the U.S. alone, thousands have died from dam failures. Even low head dams, typically smaller dams that have water continuously flowing over the dam crest, can be deadly, entrapping and drowning more than 1,400 people in their hydraulic churn.
The stark reality is the majority of our nation’s dams are beyond their design lifespan. With the average age across the nation surpassing six decades!
Over 500,000 dams across the country are putting communities and river health at risk. Our nation’s outdated 20th century dams are buckling under 21st century extremes. They are quickly becoming ticking time bombs without the budget to diffuse them. This is a public safety emergency. And Congress is on the verge of failing its most basic responsibility: to protect the American people.
Will you join us in signing this petition to tell Congress that funding for public safety, river restoration, and clean water are important to you? We need to put public safety first and approve dedicated funding for the regular upkeep, rehabilitation, or removal of dams. Let's tell them that we want our country to invest in healthy rivers for future generations.
