Rivers Reawaken: Nations Tear Down Hundreds of Dams to Restore Life

A European dam-removal surge in 2025 saw a record 603 dams and barriers removed across 21 countries, reconnecting more than 3,740 kilometers of rivers and enabling migratory fish like salmon to reclaim spawning grounds, with Finland’s Hiitolanjoki system and France’s Vezins cited; Sweden led removals with 173 barriers, and the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation targets 25,000 km of rivers by 2030. While the benefits to biodiversity and flood resilience are clear, projects require years of planning, sediment management, and ongoing maintenance; the trend mirrors US successes on the Klamath and Elwha rivers, showing rapid ecosystem recovery once barriers come down.