Removal of Savage Rapids Dam complete version

After many years of legislation the water rights of the Rogue River became protected and fish were given a free passage to the hatchery and breeding grounds up and down the river to the sea.

[@supermoonie]

Who are these people who want to keep these worthless old dams? The point of this dam was for irrigation and now they have a new pumping station. It costs more money to fix these old dams than they’re worth

[@dundonrl]

Because these people want to remove ALL dams in the USA, including such as Bonneville, Grand Coulee and Hoover.

[@rulistening7777]

A few years before she died, Agnes Pilgram said that in 1994-95 Fish & Wildlife told her that there were MORE FISH IN THE RIVER THAN EVER BEFORE ??? Thanks to her. Well..... In 1994/ 95 THREE of our dams were still in place. And had been in place for several decades prior. I moved to the Rogue in 1982. SALMON WERE IN MASSIVE ABUNDANCE. Dams were well established by that time. There were more ponds. More fishing. MORE SALMON ! More wildlife. More birds of all kinds. Mire vegitation. More wild edibles. I know this, becuse this is my stomping grounds. I see it with my own eyes daily. Now, Not nearly as many salmon fishermen nowadays on the Rogue. Yet the human population has doubled. So.... Go figure. If there were more fish., there would be more people fishing. Taking out the dams took all of that away. And filled the Rogue River with toxic sediments. The news reporter says restoration of the water-ways is causing fish numbers to increase. What a Hoot ! The numbers are nowhere close to what they were when the damsvwere in place. I KNOW ! I SEE WITH MY OWN EYES! And our forests burn every summer. Our skies are grey and clouded with endless days of choking smoke and stench. Foest management worked. And our region was profitable. Famlies thrived. All of this enviromental expeimentation did not keep Sothern Oregon from turming into the next Californication. This is a beautiful, seductive illusion.

[@lag9765]

Thank you for all that you do... Remember, it will take years for a damaged river to recover. For all those who expect instant results, you are being naive.

[@AGhost410]

Characterizations don't matter. Metrics do. Fish populations have been in a steady decline over many years before and after dams removed. Particularly steelhead. Coho already wiped out. We're spending our resources in the wrong place.

[@ed241]

You must be a MAGA. @@AGhost410

[@michaelminga4035]

The damage was dont over decades. It will take more than a couple of years for the river to heal.

[@paulsmallriver6066]

The river will heal sooner than people thinkj it will

[@delavan9141]

Excellent project! Only wish I could have gotten some big-picture views of the dam area and overall plan instead of the closeups of concrete removal machinery.

[@MZ99698]

Fish ladders are so patently ridiculous, I don’t know how anyone could ever have thought they were useful. It’s so obvious that fish wouldn’t be able to find them or use them, I don’t know why they bothered to put them in.

[@peterdorn5799]

isn't this beautiful, a free flowing river returned

[@alwaysfourfun1671]

Improves the Rogue river beauty. Thanks to all who have made this possible.

[@jamesnelson5759]

Excellent work! One less damn, one less way to have a flood.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

No benefit yet lots of negatives and can someone who thinks fish ladders don’t work explain the record numbers of salmon in the 1980s. What I can’t get my mind around is why you hope for the worst any excuse to take apart anything that works then pat each other on the back and go look for the next thing to destroy. Irrigation doesn’t cause suffering not irrigating causes suffering. Getting pleasure from harming people must be the definition of evil

[@peterhicks3516]

What are the statistics in relation to salmon passage? How many more, what sort of percentage? What are the other wildlife improvements?

[@emperormiester]

that fish ladder is so obviously not effective at all , amazing it got made life that to start with

[@rael5469]

Why don't they build new dams? I don't get it. Hydro power is the cleanest possible power......and they are REMOVING them. Maybe a dam is old. But then build a new one.

[@JimFarmer-l3n]

That ain’t going to happen these people have never built anything but they love to tear down everything that works

[@LovroRavbar]

Well done!

[@PacoOtis]

Pitiful that you include horrible intrusive music! Was this supposed to be educational?

[@EricBrueggeman-f3s]

Keep the dams

[@robertrockwell7581]

all the videos I have watched on Dam Removal everybody knows that Fish ladders have never worked. take down all Dam's even the Hoover and Glen Canyon.

[@tomg8673]

Complete waste of money and fish habitat and fish counts.. COMPLETE WASTE

[@AGhost410]

I wouldn't be bragging about this. Based on hard metrics, the money and manhours should have gone elsewhere. The fish numbers did not go up 22%. As of 10/1/2023 per the Huntley Beach surveys, Fall Chinook are down 25% from the 10 year average. Summer Steelhead numbers are about 1/3 of their 10 year average. This drop isn't caused by the dam but the dam removal did not keep populations above fish-able thresholds. As such millions that could have been spent on more worthwhile projects were spent without the promised result. And tons of sediment were dumped downstream. And the financial impact to the community was a loss due to the closure of businesses supported by the Savage Dam reservoir. Not to mention the current problems and expense with the irrigation pumps. There has been no economic benefit. No fisheries benefit. And apparently, no accountability for failed projects.

[@masterspin7796]

You mad bro?

[@sw8741]

@@masterspin7796 Naw.......just bringing much needed rational thought to the whole question. All you hear is how great ripping out a dam is and fish now has hundreds of miles of lost spawning grounds with the implication that there will be a big increase in fish. That is the whole purpose. When that doesn't turn out to be true you have to question the whole endeavor.

[@masterspin7796]

The Dam they busted out in Washington 10 years ago is doing pretty good now it takes time to repair 100 year old damage...@@sw8741

[@340wbymag]

@@sw8741 Nobody expected the fish to magically return overnight. It may take several years before we see significant salmon returns to the river, but it will happen.

[@Danstaafl]

Just another in a long list of failed projects all over the PNW. Some real doozies up her in WA. I wanted to take a moment to commend you for posting. no accountability is right. Good onya! I used to hang out at Savage Rapids back when i was guiding the Rogue. gotta admit that fish ladder looks like fish ain't gonna see it.. but they do. I remember seeing plenty come up.. I for one will miss the place..