DamNation: The Problem with Hydropower | Patagonia Films

This film explores the evolution of our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of wild rivers.
Produced by Matt Stoecker & Travis Rummel
Directed by Ben Knight & Travis Rummel
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About Patagonia:
At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have-our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations-to do something about it.

[@flaviam2468]

4 years later and this is still one of my favourite documentaries - 3rd time watching!

[@GrandmaBev64]

Me too and I show it to anyone I can. Have you seen: "Artifishal"? You won't regret it.

[@wiledman2430]

Yes

[@emberdra90n]

Don’t mind me, this is for school. Edit: Wooo! For everyone who’s watching this for school, good luck! 3:08 Title 5:11 History Timeline starts 6:11 South Fork Dam Failure 9:24 Talk of dams in Yellowstone, Sierra Club, and Glenn Canyon 11:14 removal of Elwha and Olympic Park Dams 12:15 Kevin Yang interview 16:06 First Salmon Ceremony of Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe 19:35 Columbia River 31:30 Snake River 46:54 hatcheries 53:50 Glenn Canyon 1:02:06 environmental movements 1:22:16 the scissors

[@Koyomix86]

You dropped your crown king. I’m also here for school.

[@biggestp0ser]

also doing this for school youre goated

[@gmo33331]

Youre a king

[@t.holstrom8680]

King.

[@garnetlykacuello]

Thanks for this!! another one I recommend is 26:00 Celilo Falls

[@London755]

I keep coming back to this doc. I hope Patagonia can give these filmmakers a chance to make another film of this calibre.

[@-fishin]

No one will probably read this but this video was awesome. It made me feel every emotion, I learned more about dam removal, filming and editing and motivated me. Thank you

[@sammace5967]

I work for Save Our Wild Salmon in eastern Washington, working with stakeholders and community leaders to support removal of the four lower Snake River dams to restore wild salmon and steelhead. So grateful to the fantastic film-makers and Patagonia for creating this funny, poignant, heartbreaking, spot on film.

[@grizzlyaddams3606]

Got fight the mining companies from there too. We need help in Alaska bad. The Pebble Catastrophe is moving full speed ahead. These guys are full on Demonic and do not give a crap about people, fish or any living thing. All they care about is purposeful destruction of any environment that they think they can profit off of. Trump era deregulation as much as some of it was necessary as I am not anti-business but you've gotta have discernment. That means go where living things aren't. NOT part of the Pebble game plan. Their plan is to destroy the wild fishery on purpose so their friends in the fish farming business can then build fish farms all up and down the Alaska coastline. Then expand the mining district forever until the entire state is beholden to the evil of their ways. Truly sickening what these people have already done. I cannot imagine what kind of evil they will purport upon the native Alaskans in the area to get this unnecessary and dangerous project started.

[@RCPoliComm]

@KELLI2L2 Actually, nuclear can be done much better. See: France. What's wrong with nuclear? Yes, in the past there have been a few mishaps, but even those few errors have caused far less damage than burning coal for a year, or damming our world's most important rivers.

[@johnpaulschlegel8430]

Sam Mace 8 years ago I remember my dad and his friend taking us to go steelhead fishing on the snake river near Lewiston and every year after that i would ask my dad about the Steel head runs up the snake river and now I don’t bother asking anymore since I know it will be bad.

[@peterdorn5799]

OK I can understand bonneville & grand coulee won't be coming out, that battle can't be won, I will continue to advocate removing the 4 LSRD's

[@markdemell3717]

REVELATION 11:18.

[@angelawilliams7463]

Powerful! I am so glad I found this film. Still extremely relevant today in 2024.

[@keyboard_slap]

I'm sure the natural gas industry loves your work

[@gup8175]

"This is federal, this is their river" That sums up how "our" government feels about us and the countries resources. One of the saddest films i've ever viewed, Thanks Patagonia for making this film.

[@johnadams5245]

yeah that sounded like bullshit, have they faced punishment?

[@deborahwood694]

I agree. I cried. It's horrible and we all knew it ... and have for decades that is what's so sad. We KNOW our government is greedy and corrupt in the business of creating government.

[@SilverFlame819]

Love that this is finally free on a global platform. Such a fantastic film!!!

[@marcuscollins7018]

These documentaries are sobering and mesmerizing. They make me contemplate my role in saving what we have left of our awesome natural resources. I wish all students could see these.

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

Why students? You have special plan for them do ya?

[@CONCERTMANchicago]

20:15 _There is a job waiting for this man anywhere throughout Red communist China, don't let door of progress hit you on the way out Mr. Dam the bro man 👞._

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

@@CONCERTMANchicago I think you have your own set of problems with your "progress" over there is Chicago don't ya. I mean how many people were shot during the typing of this comment???????

[@Okowa407]

This dam the three gorges dam is actually why the Baiji Yangtze river dolphin , paddlefish has no water to flow or survive and went extinct on the Yangtze The Yangtze, Yangzi, or officially Chang Jiang is the longest river in Asia Chinese alligator Chinese giant salamander finless porpoise Chinese sturgeon Rare Chinese Sturgeon Not Reproducing, Close to Extinction Chinese sturgeon on the brink of extinction Dabry's sturgeon Yangtze giant softshell turtle After 140 Million Years, the Chinese Sturgeon May Soon Be Extinct Red and white giant flying squirrel Mongolian gazelle oh and guess what the The Chinese high-fin banded shark is a popular freshwater aquarium fish calls this river home the Yangtze River basin but no more cus of the three gorges dam is extinct all this life of planet earth save the Yangtze

[@Franklin-pc3xd]

When, in reality, whilst your version of "saving" resources is actually destroying our country as folks like you end up doing the bidding of the Zuckerbergs, Pichais and Newsoms of the world who can't get enough personal wealth and power by acting as agents of the CCP to destroy and pillage this country.

[@michaellyle6857]

Good film an message, I think we all agree on sustaining the natural habitats for these fish and other wildlife. It is a challenging problem with modern development, and a worthy cause. My only criticism of the film is that it's not as simple as replacing existing (hydroelectric) generators with wind turbines. To put it simply, the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine. People say they do not care about electricity, but here we are able to consume this content that is made possible by hydroelectric, coal fired, gas fired, oil fired, and nuclear powered energy sources. I felt compelled to state this because so many people seem to only see the problem from one side, and as a society we need to grapple the totality of what we are dealing with to solve the problems.

[@connorwilson7706]

Lets fall in love with the problem of power, not the current solutions.

[@kenwelker7472]

Consider Molten Salt Thorium Reactors making preservation of hydroelectric dams obsolete.

[@bensblues]

you can tell the producer is not an engineer when they suggest replacing all hydro power with wind turbines...

[@bensblues]

@@kenwelker7472 The world needs fission (and fusion if possible) more than ever and on large scale to allow for moving off fossil fuels, as renewables cannot power most countries alone, certainly not the US. The only roadblock is the public's weak understanding of the safety of fission. Those who criticise nuclear power are merely misinformed, unless they suggest we ditch electrification entirely.

[@izzy4bitney]

I don't think they're intending to imply that every dam can be offset by wind/solar/etc. Every dam's contribution to their power grid is highly situational and I think they were pointing out that some are more obsolete than others. The man talking about every dam being "reconsidered/examined" seemed to have the ideal mindset toward this issue. Not all dams need to go, but America as a country (and humans in general, really) has this pesky habit of going overboard on everything, and dam the future consequences. Progress changes things, even the lense with which we view past actions, and sometimes we need to be humble enough to look back and admit mistakes and take the time and effort to correct them. Um, yeah, sorry I got carried away in the current, heh.

[@jeremyellis1262]

seeing the dam side of the river turn green is so rewarding

[@sammace5967]

And for folks who want to learn more about the history of dam building in America, I recommend the classic Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner. Read it it my 20s and it turned me into a river advocate.

[@dudeonbike800]

Took the words right out of my mouth! An excellent book ok that every westerner should read.

[@a0kca1p]

The whole documentary is wonderful, but the Katie Lee/Glen Canyon segment (53:49) brought tears to my eyes. The combination of ancient indigenous and natural beauty, the feeling of fear and rapture in that sacred space, Katie Lee's own joie de vivre both then and now, the ache of realizing the magnitude of what was lost, all captured in stunning still and moving images and backed by a perfect soundscape ("Switzerland" by Daughter; amazing choice). Just beautiful filmmaking. Bravo.

[@timsteinkamp2245]

What? Her running around naked. Yea, really brought a lot of insight to the issue. What were they thinking? It will increase viewers?.

[@slome815]

Ah switzerland, the only european country that has the actual right idea by building actual new dams. 60% hydropower , one of the greanest countries out there. Lots of electrified railways all over the country too. And stable energy too, unlike germany, where every time the wind doesn't blow and it's cloudy, the lignite power plants are started right up. Girls running around naked on the other hand, is something I support wholeheartedly.

[@jonathanschlehr5512]

I really wish you guys would do a documentary like this and "Artifishal" on the fight to save the Everglades and Florida Bay.

[@pinschrunner]

Glyphosate now sprayed by the sugar cane industry to dry the crop quickly is ruining both. Green slimy water runoff is the result. Chokes off human and animal life yearly now. No one needs weed killer on their sugar

[@maroufsultanzada4334]

How they replace energy? (electricity.power)?

[@Chompchompyerded]

@@pinschrunner We need undamaged nature. I am sorry to hear that it has become so bad in Florida, and I hope that changes. I'm also glad that I don't use sugar. Though that wasn't my aim in living a sugar free (including high fructose corn syrup) life, I'm glad to know that I'm not contributing to the destruction of Florida's habitat. Our food is plenty good without sugar, and the stuff that gets lots of sweeteners added to it, whether i be plant derived sucrose, or artificial sweeteners, is really horrible to one's body. We can all give up a few things for the planet's sake, and for our own sake if we put our minds to it.

[@Chompchompyerded]

@@maroufsultanzada4334 The electric power is easily replaced now by just a few windmills. Three or four wind turbines will generate as much energy as one entire dam, and as the technology becomes more refined it is getting to the place where even the slightest breeze will turn the blades. There is no place on the planet where wind doesn't blow at the height of a standard wind turbine for more than a few seconds, which makes them an ideal form of electric generation. They do have their drawbacks and environmental impact, but the impact they have is far less than that caused by hydro-electric dams. I'm sure as technology advances more options will be added to the mix. I have one idea which I believe would work extremely well, though since I'm not an engineer I can't get anyone to listen, or to take it seriously. I don't care if I never make a cent off of it if it will help reduce or eliminate the need to burn fossil fuels and or damming up rivers. The basic idea is to use light focused through a series of lenses and mirrors onto a metal block which thus heated, and with water pumped through it, would generate steam to turn turbines. At the same time it can be used to pressurize large pressure tanks which could be used during the night or in cloudy weather to keep the turbines running, thus providing electricity 24/7. I give this idea freely for the sake of the planet and future generations of humankind throughout the world. It's simple, and all it needs is an engineer and some money to bring it to reality. Old buildings and abandoned structures could be given new life this way. Abandoned steel mills and automotive plants in the rust belt could be given new life by mounting fresnel lenses built into the roofs of these buildings would be the first step in focusing the light to create the necessary heat. Whereas electricity could be stored in batteries, pressure tanks would have much less of an overall environmental impact than batteries would, and the recycling of pressure tanks would be much less of a problem than dumping tons of spent batteries with all their heavy metals and acids onto the land. When a pressure tank has gone through its maximum number of safe cycles it would be much less damaging to melt them down and make them anew. All the way around it's a much cleaner solution, and also brings the possibility of new jobs to a part of the country which has suffered greatly from the exit of jobs. So there it is. Stupidly simple, just no one has thought of it before. If anyone knows of an engineer, pass it on. It could be the way most electricity is made in the future.

[@pinschrunner]

@@Chompchompyerded windmills are used for geo-engineering. They also cause illness in humans and animals. Not Don Quixotes windmill any more

[@marywells9881]

so much thoughtful discussion, gives hope that working and fighting for the good of the whole earth must be the goal.

[@kantiano]

On 1:00:06: Simply, one of the best photograph that I've ever seen in my whole life. Thanks for show us the magnificence of Nature.

[@stephcollins9346]

1:00:29 I think does the exact same thing

[@TheFarmersFarmington]

I’m glad people realize that all clean energy sources have environmental costs but we need more than just wind and solar guys. Nuclear and hydro are really powerful backbone sources that solar and wind can’t come close to touching. We may have to sacrifice a few watersheds.

[@pasticcinideliziosi1259]

Exactly, it’s impossible to make everyone happy

[@randygrein5711]

Both nuclear and hydro have costs. The biggest cost is the loss of salmon and other riparian species - something we MAY be able to manage with a more mature view of hydro projects and a view of equitable management of resources. Nuclear power has only 2 problems; the cost (nuclear is the highest cost electrical generation source, period) and our failure to commit to a final repository for waste disposal. Some are incorrectly making claims about 'new engineering' and thorium, but ignoring that both have waste disposal requirements. Even if spent fuel is ignored (thorium would theoretically be completely consumed) contaminated equipment, ore and manufacturing residue are still hot enough to need care in disposal. All of these issues need to be balanced and the cost added to the decision. All solutions have costs. Claiming they do not exist is sheer fantasy, and while I enjoy reading fantasy I don't base my real world decisions on it.

[@sbboy333]

Wind power has a ton of negative costs, but apparently we care more about salmon than the birds, bats and bees

[@matthewnoland9206]

Very excited for this to come out. Patagonia films are world class and extremely motivational!

[@ningalls9905]

Just note that this film came out in 2014, It just hasn't been online for free until now

[@matthewnoland9206]

@@ningalls9905 You are correct! I watched it when it was originally released!

[@Treecareproj]

I would love to be able to help out

[@Okowa407]

This dam the three gorges dam is actually why the Baiji Yangtze river dolphin , paddlefish has no water to flow or survive and went extinct on the Yangtze The Yangtze, Yangzi, or officially Chang Jiang is the longest river in Asia Chinese alligator Chinese giant salamander finless porpoise Chinese sturgeon Rare Chinese Sturgeon Not Reproducing, Close to Extinction Chinese sturgeon on the brink of extinction Dabry's sturgeon Yangtze giant softshell turtle After 140 Million Years, the Chinese Sturgeon May Soon Be Extinct Red and white giant flying squirrel Mongolian gazelle oh and guess what the The Chinese high-fin banded shark is a popular freshwater aquarium fish calls this river home the Yangtze River basin but no more cus of the three gorges dam is extinct all this life of planet earth save the Yangtze

[@R0ttenMøshrõōm]

In Denmark er remove a lot of small old dams, but we still have the biggest one that extinct the Atlantic Salmon 90 years ago in Denmark's longest river. 3 Vestas windmills could replace the powerplant. The argument is that a few rich people live with a view over the lake. Think of having a wonderful river in your backyard full og wild Salmon - maybe at least as beautyful... Now we only have the imagination of a wild flowing river. One Day ... That film was so interesting and full og Hope. Thank you from little Denmark.

[@cbarefoot3]

I’m a licensed professional engineer that specializes in dams. This was a very well made documentary. I especially felt sympathetic for cultures who were connected to a free flowing river. However, I would like to point out for discussion, that hydropower is not the only benefit of a dam. They provide drinking water for millions. Perhaps more importantly, they control floods. By impounding water and letting it out at a controlled rate dams saves lives. No question that dams inhibit the migration of fish species. This is despite our best efforts to mitigate the issue. Earnest trying to meet both sides of the issue. I am gratefully a public servant, and will continue to engineer dams to the best of my ability based on what the public I serve desires. I just wanted to give another point of view other than “hydropower vs. salmon or other migratory fish”. Dams do so much more than providing hydropower.

[@Franklin-pc3xd]

The piece was sponsored and promulgated by the enemies of America to destroy our resources.

[@thejew1789]

Watched this for a university course. Originally procrastinated a lot. I’m glad I watched it.

[@thomassorensen9749]

Wow this is so awesome, they have been taking out a 250 yr old mill dam next to my house. So many are upset but from what I can tell it’s because it is something of comfort cause they grew up with it. I am glad to see an unused dam go, why maintain something that isn’t being used.. and since a boy I have always wanted to see the Native America before settlers came, so this to me is monumental to happen in my life and to a dam right next to my house, I get to witness Temple streams freedom and rebirth. I wish I got involved as a younger man but still glad some others answered the tug on their heart to make a difference instead of contributing too it.

[@wiledman2430]

This is my favorite documentary

[@wendys390]

I have never thought about this and took all the dams for granted. What a fascinating, sobering and enthralling story, ten minutes in. I am getting a sense of good intentions about to go wrong, and must stick around to see where it leads. THANK YOU

[@kensurrency2564]

We’re already starting to see the unintended consequences of good intentions. Keep watching, it’s getting weird.

[@peanut1001x]

you should've thgt of it

[@wendys390]

@@peanut1001x Better late than never.

[@captaincake4331]

This is going to sit with me for a long time. I live in the Pacific Northwest and simply can't look at Dam's the same. An incredible documentary that more need to see.

[@leahtheanimationfan40]

I was assigned to watch this for one of my Geography college courses and I'm really glad. This documentary was one of the best I've ever seen and shined a lot of light on a topic I've never thought about before

[@jovenaldomingo1123]

Miracle water is pure gold think,Our life using miracle miracle water resources here under ground and up lands??think non humans holding the brooms with lighter trash dry leaves,One year here homes here burning trash daily when it rains left overs burns trash on the ground goes down under ground, contamination to canals rivers lakes n oceans sad but true 07

[@chris432t6]

Got sucked into this documentary again and if i've commented on it in the past im sure it had to be positive. Lee is a true hero along with everyone else involved in the making of this great documentary film. Bravo! Thank you!

[@George_Ren]

Thank you for sharing this well informed documentary. Long live Mother Nature

[@brendanvierk7039]

I was rather appreciative of your inclusion of an opposing view in the form of the hydropower operator of the dam being deconstructed at the onset of the documentary. The gentleman seemed to be the only credible advocate for the continuation of hydropower in your documentary. I think that many dams will likely still be needed. But clearly many such as those on the Snake River are not necessary, even truly detrimental. And, thanks for making me laugh! Brilliant protest!

[@lorenzoquaglietta6551]

Thank you very much for this great doc!!! May all humans realize the importance of free-flowing rivers and help restoring them!

[@beklerken1]

Brings tears to my eyes to see people winning thats fighting for nature to thrive. Great docos.

[@jakubjabl]

Thank you for that inspirational story! I really like that you do highlight that there are some dams that we need but most of them are just unnecessary.

[@Jonny-nr1pp]

Very awesome video y'all!

[@owenb7911]

Dear Patagonia, please do a documentary on the drying up basin of the Murray Darling in Australia due to greedy corporations building dams and forcing farmers to buy water when theyre deaperate

[@phantomwalker8251]

the chinese own it now.like 1/2 of aus.i know for a fact,millions of ltrs,just run out to sea,in n aus.even here in s.a.,the wineries dump water from springs they built around as theres too much.all this could be used.we pay a premium for something that is in abundance,but wasted.we could all have free power if tesla got his way,but,its free,cant have that.so your choice is,dead fish,or nuke fusion.

[@owenb7911]

phantom walker yeah, its appalling how its so unknown here and the mainstream media refuses to do a cover because coalition government is behind this bs and no one knows

[@ReaLzEdits]

@@owenb7911 I think FriendlyJordies is doing a documentary on the water corruption in the Murray. Seems pretty flat out right now though so we might have to wait.

[@adlozi]

and river Kalamas in Greece..

[@lynndonharnell422]

Topher Field yt channel did a series on this some time ago.

[@uzemaza]

Powerful documentary!! Lets unite, innovate and create solutions under the creator who showed all people how to care for Mother Earth. Ancient traditional teachings that must be upheld for all people/living creatures/ plants.

[@oldi6btm6t9d4]

Now this . . . this is powerful! As an ichthyology enthusiast, I've never found such a deep expression of the wounds dams give to our mother earth. Thank you.

[@nelsonngcamumasson800]

Loved this!

[@alexanderhillary7682]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you for sharing this resource.

[@LostLakes]

Clicked on this randomly on a Friday night. Couldn't stop watching. Exceptional. Thank you!

[@NicK-qc6nm]

What a savage, filmer who filmed the damn explode deserves a raise lol 😂😂

[@buildgreatproducts4664]

What an incredible piece of work!! I will never think of Dams the same way again.

[@alexandrejobin4924]

One of the most powerful environmental movie of the past decade..

[@mobilemarshall]

Have you even been alive for a decade?

[@westho7314]

Born in the early 1950's & Grew up in Southern California, as a kid i got a job a a bait-boy in Newport Harbor. In a few short years i watched the bait fish known as anchovies become very scarce and expensive, A net full or full scoop of bait was about $1.25, and half scoop .75 cents. By the time i was 14 years old a scoop was $5-$7. Eventually i got my dream job as a deckhand on a sport fishing boat fishing out off the Channel islands, in 2 short years i saw people who once brought home gunny sacks full of fish from a half or full day boat to maybe catching 1 or 2 edible fish on a good day, they would still catch lots of mackeral which they would keep for pet food or bury in their gardens to fertilize trees and such. Fish were becoming scarce, so i gave that career up and became a cook & then a chef, a job i could travel to resorts and work, with my new past time becoming fly fishing in fresh water, something i did as a kid in the High Sierras on summer vacations I remember my grandmother telling me about catching Salmon on Malibu creek just north of Los Angeles and that Redwood trees once grew along the coast there when she was a kid back in 1900. I fly fished and traveled throughout the west working in the resorts & restraunt business, Then by 1973 i realized nearly everywhere i went was fast becoming fished out, I had a revelation & I quit eating Seafood and Salmon as well as Trout & freshwater fish altogether. A hard thing to do after being raised on fish, diving for and eating fresh lobster & abalone since i was a kid. Frying that fresh caught trout next to the creek at Yosemite, or catching little golden trout In the Sequoia Wilderness in the early 1960's. I moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1974 and was reborn, literally lived off the sea for 4 years, worked on Kona sport fishing "trophy boats" whenever i needed a little spending money, but for the most part i just enjoyed living off the sea, camping on the beach, like being in paradise, and then i experienced the same thing happening over there. Shellfish and shore caught fish were becoming exploited & getting more and more scarce, the trophy boats were bringing in less and less, smaller and smaller fish, which not long before no respectable sportsman would consider keeping or eating,( an early form of catch and release consciousness) and with many days being skunked with nothing being caught, The icehouse where sport fisherman had fish weighed, cleaned and stored for the sportsmen customers were becoming just ice houses with very few fish, maybe 1/4 full on the best of days, so again, the writing was on the wall, And i quit that sporting life and eating fish altogether. That time for good . Getting used to eating hamburgers, deli sandwhiches and pizza was a very tough go. I still cringe when i see a hamburger or have to eat one out of respect or courtesy to my host at a BBQ,( i refuse to eat hot dogs) instead of having a nice cut of prime beef , wild game or a nice filet, Even though i worked in high end resort kitchens most of my life, by the time i was 40 ( 30++ years ago) i demoted myself from being a resort chef/ sous chef to working in small resort town greasy spoon cafes as a cook or hash slinger. Preferring breakfast cook as i did not have to cook fish or hamburgers. Just Bacon & sausages, which was bad enough form of payback, as i find pork totally discusting as an edible food source. Hang around enough Obese Bacon eating, beer swilling, bait and barb hooked fishermen in life, only reinforced my bias attitude towards many of todays overfed sportsmen.. My beloved 100 year old hand wrapped Scottish fly rod heirloom still sits broken in it's original cardboard case, the last fish it ever caught was a smaller 30 pound saltwater Tarpon in Florida, which broke the pole.

[@robertoneill4774]

Most definitely the best documentary I’ve seen in my life totally moving to my soul and spirit thank you for all your hard work and dedication and willingness to help save our wonderful planet

[@Wing8565]

Absolutely brilliant well done 👍 thanks for the film good job

[@Up_north_with_Mike]

Beautifully done! Keep on being a steward to our rivers and its ecosystem.

[@Okowa407]

This dam is actually why Las Vegas has no water to survive

[@barrymitchell6681]

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!

[@kevanhubbard9673]

The problem is the continual demand for more and more electrical power and nobody questioning where the electricity is coming from.People take it for granted and don't see the dam or huge power station at the other end of their electrical wire.

[@dknowles60]

Most of the us don't understand that power demand is going up 10 percent a year

[@cjhoward409]

But our present administration wants us all driving electric cars 🤪

[@darbslohcin]

Superb documentary. These people have real courage. They are willing to sacrifice their lives to make a difference. As was said by Edward Abby, "Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul."

[@jefffreeman644]

"we don't have to do anything for them except leave them alone" What a great documentary 👍

[@nialldargan4929]

Absolutely brilliant stuff.

[@wreams2964]

I love how Patagonia shows both sides of the problem. That’s smart.

[@pinkyfull]

They did an exceedingly poor job of showing the "positive". Or of alternative solutions. I speak as someone that genuinely supports dam removal projects. But there is a lot they didn't show.

[@kevin.kelly.1]

@@pinkyfull You can only show so much in 90 minutes.

[@jagz926]

Couldnt agree more

[@compteofficiel4112]

@@pinkyfull why waste time and energy on something everyone learned in 2nd grade though? of course dams provide electricity and water for farms..we all know that already! if that one dam can be replaced by "3 windmills" there's a good part of your alternative solution, in case forgot about solar...and besides that, it is still possible to generate power from a river without a dam! it is also possible for people to start really getting serious about conserving energy and water....a huge amount of electricity and water is simply wasted.

[@harrisonclark3799]

no they showed a counter arguments and deconstructed them. Did you notice how the guy talks about how amazing the fish are and then they show how they are treated in hatcheries? The film takes a clear stance on dam removal, and the only reason they show counterpoints is to deconstruct them.

[@sweetdrahthaar7951]

The elders in Idaho speak of the salmon river so full of fish you could almost walk across the river on the backs of them. This documentary is fabulous.👍🏻

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

The river was overpopulated, we fixed it.

[@DukeofSanchez]

I actually got caught up in Lee Spencer's story and romantically considered being a fish watch volunteer. It seems like a peaceful existence.

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

Many things can be learned from watching fish. Victor Schauberger discovered vortex energy by doing that, many principles of hydronautica and aerodynamica now use his work.

[@legolas0305]

I stay in Scotland. Every loch I have seen has a fishery on it. I loved this documentary!! Keep it coming and I will keep watching.

[@Dodgy_Dave]

I am actually speechless. This film simply blew my mind. Excellent storytelling on such an important matter. Free the rivers

[@darleystar]

Humanity has no business, nor the right, to build any dam, anywhere. Great film.

[@LGM090221]

Truly appreciate the fella who said it would be foolish to remove every dam, but equally foolish to not assess whether every damn still made good economic sense over the idiot who said “I choose fish over electricity”. It’s radicals from both ends of the spectrums that prevent us from having sensible conversations with one another where common progress can be made.

[@Mavendow]

Plus, look at the waste generated by other "green energy" like wind and solar. Horrendous. Ironically, the cleanest "renewable" may simply be burning trees w/ carbon capture... Legally enforce growing new forests for harvest and you got yourself a whole new industry whose explicit job is carbon negative.

[@zz7254]

If your idea of "sensible" is destroying the earth and killing wildlife all in the name of profit for massive companies, then I don't want to have a conversation with you. Dams are an outdated technology and should be treated as such.

[@umserapenas]

Loved it. Thank you. I wish the same would be done in Portugal.

[@zooski1516]

Wow. Thank you for producing such videos. Although I am deeply familiar with the issue being a avid fisherman, this is the way to teach the masses. God Bless.

[@MA-bu3uu]

I cannot believe this movie is free to watch on here. This is incredible.

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

It’s liberal propaganda, propaganda is always “FREE”

[@London755]

Hey Patagonia, I'm so glad you made this documentary freely available on KZbin. I already paid for it earlier because I loved seeing it on Netflix. please hire these guys to make more quality docs like this. If you do, I promise to go buy some more of your quality clothing even though it's a stretch on my budget.

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

@Malone's Cones Good Ice Cream yup, consumerism and liberalism is killing the planet.

[@usernotfound904]

I wear Patagonia bc of this

[@uzemaza]

Exactly! Keep on pushing!!!

[@inethvvs8]

It is been about 10 yrs ago since I watched this powerful documentary and now I even love it more, because the Mekong river in my Mother’s land is about the to be divided by more than hundreds dams along the rivers.

[@marby602]

Like everything in life, the best outcome is achieved by a balance between both sides.

[@willboudreau1187]

Ummm, this looks like an extremely one-sided video. I have not viewed it yet. And for intellectual honesty's sake, I will comment after I have viewed it. If my political instincts are violated, I'll be the first one to eat crow, but otherwise, woo be it to the rest.

[@willboudreau1187]

See my comments above. Enough said about enviro-nazis.

[@2lipToo]

Brilliant! Honoring our natural habitat makes us all richer.

[@glenjo0]

The change on the Elwha has been amazing.

[@richardland5563]

An amazingly powerful story

[@christiantinman]

Thank you to Ben and the whole team for this amazing Docie.... So needed. So powerfull.

[@reetabass1540]

amazing

[@odinrhode2169]

I want to say that this documentary has changed what I want to do in life, I live near Rocky Mountain National Park and what i've found is that if you go out and spend time in the wilderness you will come to love all these places that are being threatened by government leaders with the interest of companies behind them instead of the interest of the people. My only goal in life is to show how beautiful this land is and how it would be a crime against humanity and any god that exists to destroy it.

[@AustinTheTree]

Just watched this for my Recreation Planning class and loved every second! Can’t wait to dig deeper with my classmates tomorrow! Thanks Patagonia for the great film!

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

"Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul." WOW!!! That is SO true!

[@dooberdave219]

Thank You.....

[@alexmenard7981]

Thanks for this beautiful film :) Here in Québec we're big producer of hydropower. We always think of hydro as being super clean, but it's good to have a healthy reminder of what the adverse effects can be. We just have to be smart about how we manage all this. The day we'll start taking into account the environmental cost of things, it will change the way we make business world. Merci beaucoup :) Cheers to everyone :)

[@jamestaylor6041]

This is one of the most powerful and truthful documentaries I have ever watched , I THANK YOU AND THE PARTICIPANCE AND THEIR ACTIONS and for having the BALLS to make such a great eye opener, WELL DONE TO YOU ALL .

[@casienwhey]

This was excellent. Hats off to all those trying to make a difference in dam removal and salmon recovery.

[@kerimccabe2931]

Their plan is not to help salmon. They just make it seem like that. They forget to look at the reality of the situation and forget that there isn’t native fish left that they plan on saving. Most hatcheries aren’t like that. Look at the organization Hatchery/Wild CoExist. They are trying to get salmon back but keep getting stepped on by brands like Patagonia.

[@jonlaban4272]

"Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul" I like these final words which encourages activism

[@suncentury7020]

This is such an important documentary. People need to know more about the many mistakes that have brought us to where we are today,and not repeat them.😭❤️🌍✌️

[@bennieknape4857]

A magical place to be sure.

[@johnmillman2048]

Fish ladder, an engineering project a studious girl scout group can easily , with little oversight design and engineer fish ladders for most dams

[@bobbeyhanley5603]

A wonderful documentary on a great movement to restore the natural beauty and power of the natural beauty of the planets abilities and how complexity of nature and that n no shape or form can we humans duplicate it at all without destroying it by trying to distorted

[@aaronhagler8455]

Patagonia- through your youtube and incredibly powerful documentary’s, I have found so much respect for this company. I love how these documentary’s show all sides of the issue, and lead the viewer towards the most logical, and ethical opinion, without ever shoving it in their face. Thank you for these documentary’s I hope there will be more to come!

[@Okowa407]

This dam is actually why Las Vegas has no water to survive

[@yogeshdahiya3871]

Amazing: ossam: fantastic: Great work team Patagonia

[@timm6112]

Incredibly beautiful, informative, and thought-provoking documentary. Thank you for doing this.

[@crustmuskandpixiedust]

Sustainable food and water is more important than electricity, but no one said we couldn't have all of it in a sustainable way. We are an innovative species, and it is in our best interest to find a sustainable way.

[@bfelb]

If money controls democracy then we should buy from companies like Patagonia.

[@itsjourdon]

i saw this on netflix about 6 years ago and have never stopped thinking about it since

[@TritoxHDTV]

Fantastic work, Patagonia! It gives me hope for our world after seeing what you are doing and the projects your are producing. Keep it up!

[@Okowa407]

This dam is actually why Las Vegas has no water to survive

[@bradcable6]

So basically the progress that these dams created have made it so easy to live without having to harness the wild causing people to criticize the men who harnessed nature and created the world we live in.

[@paigecarlson5189]

Hey, Patagonia! Love, love, love the film! Truly inspiring. One thing: If you do indeed text "DAM" to the number listed, it says, "Tell Pres. Obama to crack down on deadbeat dams..." Time for an update! Much love.

[@robertcalamusso4218]

Great show. Lots of great Folk. The dam builders too.

[@IntrinsiqFilms]

I bought this years ago. On DVD, and this quality is stunning! BEST HUGS FOR MAKING THIS PUBLIC (AVAILABLE)!

[@Honorablebenaiaha]

Gross

[@codybrooks2696]

This is an exceptional production. Incredibly well done, and relays the importance of river ecosystem restoration and preservation. I'll never think of dams the same again.

[@nickking1510]

In my opinion better fish ladders or streams could be built around the dams . Here in southern Ontario there are some ladders on many Great Lakes river dams but I think artificial streams could be built around the dam would be much more efficient and allow greater access for the fish . Another great problem is the young fish go through the turbines or gates which has a huge mortality rate on their return to the sea or lake

[@jonbridge6442]

Or get rid of the damns?

[@blazedank100]

@@jonbridge6442 well even the geologist said you can't get rid of them all or prevent people from doing it..so he said to re imagine how they are built . So the more ideas the better tbh 🤔 I'm against dams too but we still need people re designing them for the ones that they do build.

[@ELECTRIC_WIZARD_]

They wanna sink the hydro for solar....mad worl

[@gedforcey]

Excellent doco'. I'm much better informed and care a lot more now And the the ending... priceless. God bless her. What an angel she was too, her naked beauty was a perfect compliment to those amazing canyons. Bravo!!

[@benchavez3686]

Genuine Question Here: If we were to remove all of this hydro-electric generation capacity, what would we replace it with? It couldn't be wind or solar because they lack the density and continual generation of hydro. You would trade the degredation of rivers for the development of giant wind or solar farms and mining to produce the photo voltaics. So we would have to trade this capacity for expanding fossil fuels or nuclear generation. The impact on our environment is real and it is terrible. But the reality is society is not going backwards, we are consuming more energy day by day, not less. So what is a truly holistic and forward thinking solution here?

[@leviharrison4127]

Wind, geothermal, and solar are all significantly underused. The key to solar is the storage, new battery cell technology is not far off. We could be doing hydro significantly better, improving ability of upstream flow (the biggest problem), building less dams and using technology to keep the turbine spinning just as fast.

[@shannondonovan4241]

I am not an expert, but seems like there are plenty we could remove first (while we build out other renewables) that have exceded the lifespan.

[@benchavez3686]

​@@leviharrison4127 Actually, Battery technology is no where near where it needs to be and likely never will be. For your house, sure, but not for industry. Besides, batteries are made of things that need to be mined from the earth. Not a holistically good idea. Same goes for geothermal. Highly Expensive, often releases greenhouse gases, and destabilizes the surface of the earth. Several studies about how it is negatively effecting the environment. Hydro electric energy production is just about the least destructive form man has ever devised. Perfect, no. Certainly could be improved upon, but i'm not holding my breath for significant infrastructure spending in this country.

[@benchavez3686]

@@shannondonovan4241 Sure, I would agree. But my question was about what we would replace them with, from a technological stand point. I'm not convinced any of the renewables we currently have would be a good replacement. "Building out other renewables" also means the destruction of other habitats through mining and the construction of massive solar farms.

[@leviharrison4127]

Ben Chavez in the current way we think about and create batteries no, there are some interesting alternatives. Even in our current battery cell tech and the way it’s going we could eliminate many hydroelectric plants by storing that. Geothermal energy technology is also in its infancy, I believe it will evolve to be better. Several buildings on my college campus are geothermal powered so I believe there’s hope there. It gives off significantly less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels tho. In the end it’s not going to be just one thing but a combination of many.

[@gwayne919]

Excellent. If I wish, I wish I were such things restoring America to its pristine past. Thanks to all of those who made this video possible.

[@jacobkrzciok4454]

Love love love Patagonia. A company I’d be honored to work for out of college. 1 year till I can apply. Fingers Crossed 🤞

[@__-yn5hv]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[@judasblewit]

Good goals for sure!

[@bonds.9547]

Never thought anything of dams before this, and to say the least my eyes have been opened