ABSTRACT
Why remove certain dams after building them? Which dam(s) should be removed in order to maximize ecological and socioeconomic benefits for a given amount of expenditures? This chapter addresses these questions by first reviewing trends and issues in dam removal in the United Sates. It focuses on why it is difficult to make removal decisions. The chapter introduces a quantitative decision analysis (QDA) approach that bridges economic and ecological criteria, in order to facilitate science-informed and consensus-based decisions on dam decommissioning. The decision analysis approach in the chapter features two methods: multicriteria analysis (MA) and optimization. The chapter shows the effect of alternative human value judgments on making the "right" decisions to remove aging US dams. Dam removal problems have motivated the development of assessment tools that incorporate scientific, engineering, economic, and social issues. The chapter illustrates how decision analysis can yield useful insights about trade-offs among these issues.
