Guidelines for Assessing Sediment-Related Effects of Dam Removal

Dam removal is becoming more common in the United States as dams age and environmental concerns increase. Sediment management is an important part of many dam removal projects, but there are no commonly accepted methods to assess the level of risk associated with sediment stored behind dams. Therefore, the interagency Subcommittee on Sedimentation (SOS) is sponsoring the development of a decision framework for assessing sediment-related effects from dam removals. The decision framework provides guidance on the level of sediment data collection, analysis, and modeling needed for reservoir sediment management. The framework is based on criteria which scale the characteristics of the reservoir sediment to sediment characteristics of the river on which the reservoir is located. To assist with the framework development, workshops of invited technical experts from around the United States were convened October 2008 in Portland, Oregon and October 2009 in State College, Pennsylvania. The decision framework developed at these workshops is currently being validated with actual dam-removal case studies from across the United States including small, medium, and large reservoir sediment volumes. This paper provides the latest thinking on key components of the guidelines. The paper represents contributions from over 26 entities who have participated in the development of the guidelines. After completion of the case study application, the framework will be finalized and published.