I love Dams and a big proponent for them. However we have a TON of unused dams that aren't being properly maintained. Most were built almost a century ago to build out cheap power but they stopped supply power decades ago. The only real I don't like dams is the environmental damage; if we're not using them they shouldn't exist. Obviously another use is flood water or farming but once again most of the dams being removed are completely unused.
@bigfoot16312 күн бұрын
In california we have electricity shortages and water shortages and we are taking out dams 😂😂😂😂😂
@BigDaddyLongdick-n4f12 күн бұрын
@@bigfoot163I would use them to generate power but I'm just a dumb redneck
@brentlowry307829 күн бұрын
That's awesome they saved many local residents before removing the dam.
@anthonywebb26916 күн бұрын
As a fisherman I’m excited to see this happen . I love fishing dams but if it’s hurting the fish then definitely get rid of them
@benhoskins471914 күн бұрын
I live just up river from a hydroelectric spillway along the Cumberland River. Kentucky utilities built it in the 60s and never put it online because this is coal country😂🙄
@cashaeleatemlaАй бұрын
On the whooshing Watauga River, excavators claw at the remains of Shulls Mill Dam, pulling concrete apart piece by piece and gradually opening a waterway kept in check for nearly two centuries. Removal of this privately-owned hydropower dam in western North Carolina will be a boon for rafters, kayakers and tubers by allowing the river to flow freely for nearly 80 miles (129 kilometers). But maybe the biggest beneficiary will be a strange, ancient creature known as the eastern hellbender salamander. Sometimes called a snot otter or Allegheny alligator, it's North America's largest salamander and can reach two feet (61 centimeters) in length. But the salamander's range in places such as southern Appalachia has shrunk and its numbers are down 70% over the past 50 years. Demolition of Shulls Mill Dam is part of a national trend to return rivers to their natural state by removing aging, sometimes derelict structures that once powered mills, irrigated farmland or impounded water. Aimed at boosting biodiversity, improving water quality and strengthening flood protection amid worsening storms, the campaign to demolish dams dates back several decades but has intensified with a once-in-a-generation funding infusion from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
@lordhelwintr28320 күн бұрын
O so it’s destroying current infrastructure not replacing our crumbling roads and bridges or upgrading our power grid.
@randalfpeterson531720 күн бұрын
@@lordhelwintr283, removing crumbling harmful useless dams are important parts of maintaining our nation's infrastructure. Avoid the False Dichotomy, All problems need to be addressed.
@gregorymalchuk27217 күн бұрын
@@lordhelwintr283 And people wonder why inflation is out of control. Our tax dollars being used to destroy hydroelectricity dams.
@RedFlyRuledByTheRiff29 күн бұрын
Amazing salamanders! Thank you for moving them!
@gw712011 күн бұрын
Unused damns ofc , but removing your fresh water damns is drastic action
@johnwright670620 күн бұрын
Member when we used to build things and maintain them? Member that?
@deserttrailscout17 күн бұрын
They’re removing dams that no longer serve a purpose so why would they maintain them???
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
Some dams are too old and are worth being maintained. And besides they have outlived their usefulness or their purpose.
@Abcdefg-ky6gg15 күн бұрын
I do remember when a member of this country would know English. Remember that?
@michaeldeierhoi409614 күн бұрын
@@Abcdefg-ky6gg Since the founding of this country there have always been immigrants that could not speak English. I don't know what you are going on about!!
@thejovialjester18 күн бұрын
Fun fact about this. Even though there are funds available, there are communities who resist this. In South Whitehall Township in Pennsylvania, Federal Funds were available to totally remove a local dam, but the residents complained so much that the township caved under pressure and did not remove the dam. The opposite occurred and the taxpayers spent almost $1 million in restoring the dam.
@America-First202417 күн бұрын
Both are taxpayer’s money Federal funds = taxpayer’s money Taxpayer’s money = Taxpayer’s money
@fergielicious7816 күн бұрын
I'm pretty sure it's not caving, it's literally their job to LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. you must be a Biden voter 😂
@ryhol541713 күн бұрын
It’s going to be great for wildlife, better for hunting, recreation, and fishing. Couldn’t tell if it’s navigable
@trinasyoutube10 күн бұрын
I had no idea this was happening but dams have to be causing ecosystem issues.
@jh-hh6vsКүн бұрын
I think this is a great use of federal funds.
@SK-rs1hu15 күн бұрын
How do I get a job helping with this?
@benhoskins471914 күн бұрын
Just upstream from Pineville KY is a dam that holds back what has always been called "Lake Mistake". A 50' spillway was constructed near the confluence of clear creek and the cumberland river for flood prevention, but it doesn't help in that regard at all, never has. The spillway has who knows how many massive eastern hemlock logs jammed on the upper side, they wash over the top at flood stage occasionally. The state would never remove the dam on their own as they benefit from the golf course around the lake, but the water on the course can be re-worked and a uselss spillway removed before it fails during a flood and sends all that extra flow towards town all at once.
@Elburion15 күн бұрын
Time to take the Dam tour.
@mr.stotruppen872417 күн бұрын
INSHALLAH THE TROUT SHALL BE FREE
@crowpvpgod453715 күн бұрын
I support dam removals all across the nation! More must be done to restore the wild.
@procrastinator4120 күн бұрын
“I don’t want to go in the cooler”
@TheJensss24 күн бұрын
why not modernize them instead to minimize local environment impact and build out hydropower.
@PatG-xd8qn23 күн бұрын
Most of them are so small that they wouldn't generate much power. Most of them were used for irrigation, to power a saw mill, for log driving on small rivers or to control flooding in a local area.
@craigsurette343822 күн бұрын
I am with you. I would much rather these dams be rebuilt for local small scale hydropower for their communities. However the dams are often in bad enough shape that they would functionally need to be more or less rebuilt anyway to keep using
@TheJensss22 күн бұрын
@@PatG-xd8qn A lot of small dams would eventually create a lot of power. Just like a single solar panel does not produce much, but many of them do.
@TheJensss22 күн бұрын
@@craigsurette3438 Rebuilding is often easier and cheaper than renewing something old. We need power and much more of it in the future so we should take the opportunities we have.
@PatG-xd8qn22 күн бұрын
@@TheJensss This is not how electricity works. Building and maintaining huge infrastructures to generate and transport tiny amounts of power would end up costing way more than it would bring. A small dam that powered a small saw mill would only generate enough electricity to power a few electric tools, only during some short periods of time in the year when there's enough water in the small creeks... You won't start building and maintaining hundreds of kilometers of transmission lines in the middle of nowhere just for that.
@craigsurette343822 күн бұрын
The messed up part about this, is that inside of a generation, there will be a need for a nation wide push for local small community scale hydro power for Green energy . Basically they are knocking down these dams, only to need to put ideally better built ones up in the same places within the next 50ish to a hundred years
@America-First202417 күн бұрын
And that’s how government works
@IELife-de2oc17 күн бұрын
Yep
@blatantmoose45417 күн бұрын
Most of the dams they are removing are completely unused and useless. They do not provide power anymore and are ancient structures that don’t work. There are many great dams, but these small ones are not active that they remove
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
No, actually more environmentally sensitive renewable energy technology are gradually replacing the need for hydro dams. Solar and wind are just two examples. There is even technology that does without the giant wind turbines.
@IELife-de2oc15 күн бұрын
No
@spartansas3616 күн бұрын
Dam removals. Ask the RAF's Squadron 617 to help
@OffGridInvestor15 күн бұрын
There goes the chance of saving any salamanders
@Kyd42Ай бұрын
Why were the dams initially built?
@juju-xx5xnАй бұрын
Hydropower, irrigation, grist mills, these are some of the reasons why. Grist mills were commonplace during the 1700's, 1800's and some of the 1900's.
@CraftEccentricityАй бұрын
To hold back catastrophic flood waters
@DT-ww4gvАй бұрын
To hold back flooding and to be able to have water during dry periods of the year. These people are F**ked in the head.
@Kyd42Ай бұрын
@@juju-xx5xn With the exception of irrigation, the others have long since gone away? I didn’t see anything, even fallen down, near the dam to indicate it was being used for hydropower or grist mills (which is just non-electrical hydropower). The story should have included how the dams were once used but no longer necessary in today’s world.
@Sliceofthepie88Ай бұрын
@@Kyd42 The dams where built so "people" felt like there researching was a legitimate education.
@Manish_Kumar_Singh17 күн бұрын
Would rather install new low head turbines insted and use the power supply locally. The ecosystem has alredy adjusted to the flow and the location is much greener due to the dam. Fish ladders can solve the rest. I doubt there are any civil engineers in that team
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
Fish ladders are not much of a help when the dam is too old to be maintained. All dams have an expiration date which can be extended, but only up to a point. That's the reality!!
@malakis6915 күн бұрын
As long as people don’t rely on that as a source of water thats cool
@willieverusethis26 күн бұрын
Great news!
@hamiltonb115920 күн бұрын
Great to hear!
@maforever414420 күн бұрын
This is where the infrastructure funds are going? Would think money would be better spent restoring outdated and damaged water systems that supply water to cities
@glenhaase681719 күн бұрын
This may shock you, but infrastructure spending is going to these projects AND the ones you mentioned. The average cost of these dam removals is around 1.2-1.5 million (which is partially coming from the state budgets, not just federal funds) and the infrastructure bill was for 1 TRILLION dollars, meaning a project like this is a drop in the bucket of the federal infrastructure funding.
@Llano75417 күн бұрын
@@glenhaase6817 haven’t seen or heard much of it being used down here in Texas yet, and I ain’t holding my breath that I will see it anytime soon.
@DeltaEchoGolf15 күн бұрын
@@Llano754 When it comes to infrastructure spending. The first thing that comes to mind is the East coast and the upper Midwest. Rust buckets where having a bridge collapse is almost mandatory so they can go beg for more funding!
@user-nc6qh7kf9h13 күн бұрын
PEOPLE THAT LIVE BELOW THEL DAM .... MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE... 😊😊😊
@0megacron15 күн бұрын
Well... dam.
@brucekuehn403126 күн бұрын
Save the birds - tear down the wind turbines!
@America-First202417 күн бұрын
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
@haroldsmith4530224 күн бұрын
Flood control?
@CormacHolland23 күн бұрын
Here’s the flood control: not building on floodplains. Simple as that. Let nature do what it’s meant to do, floodplains are meant to flood.
@JohnMacFergus-oz5cp26 күн бұрын
Great. Let nature do it's job again.
@creativemindplay23 күн бұрын
What are those people throwing rocks at at the beginning?
@FlyxPat23 күн бұрын
just playing.
@man-who-sold-the-world19 күн бұрын
Taliban, they were stoning a woman.
@homeplanet365Ай бұрын
Put a hole at the bottom of the dam, under the down stream waterline first, and see how the fish and salamanders like it.
@whiskerbiscuit667419 күн бұрын
That would take far more effort than just breaking it.
@MuhammadAliInTheRingАй бұрын
Save the beavers!
@Sovereign_Citizen_LEOАй бұрын
Save the Muslims Muhammad, save the Boxers Right? Don't you agree? Please stop being a "useful idiot".
@guttercherry650723 күн бұрын
Love it!
@jeffj249528 күн бұрын
If the dams served no purposed, then why were they installed in the first place?
@treefarm328827 күн бұрын
Read the first comment.
@wm-fm1ts27 күн бұрын
Originally, this one powered a sawmill. However, that mill no longer exists, and the dam has fallen into disrepair. Many, many structures like this exist throughout the US, and they become hazards. They could fail and cause flooding. Removing them is important for safety and for the environment.
@craigsurette343822 күн бұрын
They had an original purpose for powering local saw mills etc back over a hundred hears ago. When the mill closed, they never took the dam down, and now its there falling apart and messing stuff up
@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast469521 күн бұрын
Unacceptable if it can power a mill it can produce electricity or still power a mill the bakers corner flour in my pantry has traveled over 400 miles just to transport the bagged flour to my grocery store meanwhile there's grain production in my county and historically there were three gristmills a days horse ride from me(15miles round trip)
@randalfpeterson531720 күн бұрын
@@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695, the size of the dam in the video produced a small amount of power. The cost of upgrades needed to keep it safe and functional would be more expensive than the profits gained from selling electricity.
@armageddonready407125 күн бұрын
Follow the money. ALL OF IT. Glad this project is getting done, I’m just curious how much money go to the actual work, and how much goes to the second home, vacation, and slush fund?
@America-First202417 күн бұрын
10%-20% for the actual work
@blondie724022 күн бұрын
Damns prevent flooding and droughts.
@Farkmaster20 күн бұрын
Your analysis is as useful as your spelling. This dam is a mill dam, it says so right in the name, as was the other in the area. It wasn't used for water management, it was used for the same reason most obsolete dams were; industry. This particular dam was already partially breached and wasn't maintained. The question isn't whether it should be there or not, the question is whether this and thousands of other dangerous ruins of mill dams, pulp dams, paper dams etc. will be correctly disposed of to improve the ecology and safety of the river. As an avid canoer, one of the most dangerous things you can encounter are breached dams. This will open up the area to recreational activity bringing in money.
@blondie724020 күн бұрын
@@Farkmaster nice ad hominem fallacy
@PeterOliver19 күн бұрын
@@blondie7240 Are you a bot based on being a 14 year old who has access to Wikipedia or something?
@blondie724019 күн бұрын
@@PeterOliver and ditto to you
@raincoast901018 күн бұрын
@@blondie7240 ouch!
@lucasaquino12321 күн бұрын
I hope they keep part of the structures for preserving the built heritage aspect of the dams. Those could be interesting historical sites and nice points of interest for hiking
@PeterOliver19 күн бұрын
You want random concrete blocks to by the rivers edge? No thanks.
@lucasaquino12319 күн бұрын
@@PeterOliver I mean, if done nicely, they could serve as historical landmarks. Also they could serve as habitats for small reptiles and insects
@westrim17 күн бұрын
@@lucasaquino123 The rocks and silt flowing freely will do a better job of being habitat.
@Llano75417 күн бұрын
@@PeterOliver I would think it interesting to see evidence of an old dam that used to be there, but that is just because I like coming across abandoned structures and ruins. My uncle has an old stone fence on his property that is nearly completely covered by brush, for example. I always find it interesting when hiking around his place and I come across a section I didn’t know about before.
@bigfoot16312 күн бұрын
😂😂 sems like they where doing just fine 😂😂😂
@gregorymalchuk27217 күн бұрын
The government shouldn't be subsidizing the destruction of hydroelectricity dams.
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
When old dams like these are torn down it's actually a win win for the environment. The dams are often old mill dams providing power to lumber mills that are no longer in business. These dams aren't worth rebuilding because of the costs. And dams do not last forever.
@gregorymalchuk27216 күн бұрын
@@michaeldeierhoi4096 We are in an energy crisis. Global warming and fuel depletion constitute the worst energy crisis in humanity's history. Hydroelectricity is the single cheapest and most reliable electricity source. The loss of several tens of megawatts will be seen as catastrophic when electricity costs 50 cents per kWh and rotating blackouts begin.
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
@@gregorymalchuk272 Except that no electricity is lost from these dams that are being taken down. They are old dams that aren't even producing power. And it would cost MORE to upgrade them than the energy they might produce later. You are also forgetting that all dams have an expiration date. They don't last forever.
@gregorymalchuk27216 күн бұрын
@@michaeldeierhoi4096 The dams could have been rehabilitated to produce power, or a new dam could be built on the same spot. Your payback period estimates are based of of historic electricity prices, not the ones coming when the energy crunch really hits. The concrete in the Hoover dam isn't even done curing. Dams could last for several thousand years.
@michaeldeierhoi409614 күн бұрын
@@gregorymalchuk272 Sounds you have ample fairy tales to tell yourself at bedtime every night. Sleep tight.
@clairebear1808Ай бұрын
Thank President Biden
@TheBostricano21 күн бұрын
Yes!!! Thank you President Biden!!
@donaldharlan398125 күн бұрын
That person doesn't know what he's talking about. There was a purpose for those dams. In a few years, the dams will probably be restored.
@manfredstrappen749124 күн бұрын
The dam hadn’t been serving any purpose since the 1940’s. Tell us why the rebuild it?
@donaldharlan398124 күн бұрын
@@manfredstrappen7491 That dam was built to slow the runoff and erosion. 🦎 I love the salamanders. 🏞️ Given time, the dams will return and that is okay. 🌲 Beavers could do that naturally. 🌊
@a-_-s23 күн бұрын
What’s glossed over in this video is the “watershed restoration.” Dam removal is a component of this but not the only part. The whole picture is restoring the ecosystem to the point it’s self sustaining again. There are better, safer, and more environmentally friendly ways to manage runoff and erosion than a bunch of concrete infrastructure.
@redbarchetta8782Ай бұрын
Making a mess out of something that should have been a positive is the government way.
@LH-ot5rkАй бұрын
100%
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
Posting a vague and general comment on a video adds nothing to the conversation. What mess are you talking about for example?
@ThewhippedhippieАй бұрын
Hydro electric is the cleanest power on the planet. But we still live in The Anxiety Age. Defense rules humanity. One day will focus on comfort for all humanity
@strongbird3499Ай бұрын
One day, if we survive, we will focus on living within our ecological means.
@Sovereign_Citizen_LEOАй бұрын
@@strongbird3499 - What does that even mean? You are completely propaganda brainwashed. It is not possible according to your false beliefs. It will literally destroy Western Civilization and the Middle Class, stunting and removing all human development to this point, and creating poverty and suffering for hundreds of Millions of people for no real reason, and no benefit to them or Wildlife/ the Environment.
@HKim0072Ай бұрын
Maybe you should do some research on the impacts downstream in China or Iraq.
@ThewhippedhippieАй бұрын
@@HKim0072 I was only making the point it’s clean energy. Hydro electric power. I understand what dams do to society’s.
@daleolson3506Ай бұрын
When these carbon fanatics don’t have electricity or can’t afford it,then there will be a push for more dams to create cheep electricity. Idiots
@halebop12Ай бұрын
By all means, shut down our coal, our dams and any other source of energy so we are completely dependant on Foriegn Nations. How many dams have been a part of this so far? Or what others are scheduled?
@jeffj249528 күн бұрын
These are old dams. They are not producing any hydroelectric power. A very tall dam is needed for that.
@matthew313628 күн бұрын
🤡
@PatG-xd8qn23 күн бұрын
These dams were used for log driving, for irrigation, to power a saw mill or to control flooding in a local area They aren't large enough to generate hydropower
@America-First202417 күн бұрын
“Irrigation… control flooding” hmmm… interesting
@PatG-xd8qn17 күн бұрын
@@America-First2024 They were actually mostly used for log driving and to power some saw mills.
@savannahm.laurentian1286Ай бұрын
As an indigenous woman, i fought hard for scholarship to east coast college, with apologies to my alma mater & my father, i am left with: duh!
@awesomedavid2012Ай бұрын
Ah yes I also like to destroy renewable energy sources
@randyearles1634Ай бұрын
these hundreds of dams didn't do anything for renewable energy. It takes a big dam and structures to generate electricity cost effectively.
@HKim0072Ай бұрын
@@randyearles1634 lol, people don't realize how tall an hydroelectric plant needs to be.
@wm-fm1ts27 күн бұрын
Would you prefer for an old, unmaintained dam once built to power a sawmill that hasn't existed for many decades be left up to rot until it fails and the rushing water floods a town downstream? Do you consider removing damaged wind turbine blades to be "destroying renewable energy sources"? This dam wasn't powering anything, was a ticking time bomb of a flood hazard, and was detrimental to aquatic life.
@HKim0072Ай бұрын
Part of the infrastructure bill!
@jamesellis2784Ай бұрын
Uncorporated, Genoside, We don’t have 🎉an infrastructure congress Arizona Yavapia county , 85332 , send. Humanitarian aid , education,
@piggypoo17 күн бұрын
This guy speaks in run-on sentences. And then comes the lady who ends every sentence with an upward inflection.
@michaeldeierhoi409616 күн бұрын
I don't think you even know what a run-on sentence is?!
@JLC8742020 күн бұрын
😂😂😂 such ignorance.
@IbexWatcher22 күн бұрын
I love the trend of dam removal across the U.S.! Super beneficial for wildlife habitat, recreation, water quality, access, and so much more
@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast469521 күн бұрын
So is global warming better ? many of these dams powerd gristmills,, it's bull*hit that the flour in my pantry has traveled over 400 miles from mill to store not including farm to mill or store to home you factor that in and we could double that number, totally unacceptable there were three mills a horse ride from me and we still have grain farming in my county to this day that grain has to travel hundreds of miles to be processed when it could be local grown and local consumed
@IELife-de2oc17 күн бұрын
@@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695Exactly. So many commenters seem to ignore this aspect.
@StarTrekFan4LifeАй бұрын
❤❤❤🎉
@jackflash9735Ай бұрын
Proof the Infrastructure bill is working more conservation minded policies!!
@drones783817 күн бұрын
Great - less water reserves
@wobbuffetbuffet16 күн бұрын
More water reserves in the natural water tables. Less private boating lakes for the rich. Leave nature alone, let rivers flow.
@ElectricNed26 күн бұрын
Excellent!
@JohnMacFergus-oz5cp26 күн бұрын
And thank you, American Rivers folks!
@black_sheep252023 күн бұрын
It takes more effort to redirect the natural flow of rivers than to adapt to them. We can build reservoirs for flood control and watermills for hydropower.