Beyond Dams: Options & Alternatives

By design, dams alter the natural flow regime, and with it virtually every aspect of a river ecosystem, including water quality, sediment transport and deposition, fish migrations and reproduction, and riparian and floodplain habitat and the organisms that rely on this habitat.

The purpose of this report is to provide stakeholders and decision–makers with an overview of low–impact and non–structural alternatives to dams. It is designed as a reference for anyone interested in exploring options for replacing a function served by an existing dam or replacing a function to be served by a dam.

• Visit: American Rivers, dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy, natural rivers and the variety of life they sustain for people, fish and wildlife.
• Report by the World Commission on Dams: Dams and Development, A New Framework For Decision–Making