Dam Renovation to Prolong Reservoir Life and Mitigate Dam Impacts

Dams are essential to society, yet have tremendous environmental impacts, for which there is an increasing interest in mitigation. At the same time, sedimentation threatens sustainability of reservoir storage and functions. We use term dam renovation encompass a wide range measures, including rehabilitation, commonly used structural retrofits, typically structure or spillway, fishway retrofits migratory fish passage, reoperation, involves modifying operations improve flow regimes ecological purposes, sustainable sediment management, includes measures pass through around dams, as well other mechanical restore connectivity. Compared renovation, inordinate amount literature has been published on topic removal. While some cases removal practical way river condition resolve safety problems aging reality that most dams existence today will remain foreseeable future, provided they do not fill with sediment, their structures deteriorate point failure. Thus, it imperative we understand options available renovate poor performance whose threatened.