A dam on the River Melsa in western Iceland was chipped away by hydraulic peckers, allowing free-flowing water to run unbroken for the first time in decades. The structure had continued to block fish migration long after it fell into disrepair and no longer produced electricity. The demolition was supported by a Scottish technical firm, and restoring the river to its natural state was described as rewarding. Iceland’s removal was noted as the first official dam removal in the country. Across Europe, 602 barriers were removed last year, with dismantling increasing by 11% and reconnecting 2,324 miles of rivers in 2025. The removals support wildlife and help the EU move toward restoring 15,500 miles by 2030.
"A few miles downstream from a lava field in western Iceland, the gargle of free-flowing water is unbroken for the first time in decades after hydraulic peckers chipped away at a dilapidated dam that once powered a farm. The structure on the River Melsa had continued to block fish migration long after falling into disrepair. It wasn't providing any electricity; the old power house had sheep living in it, said Hamish Moir, a river engineer from CBEC, a Scottish firm that provided technical support for the demolition in December."
"The dam was officially the first that Iceland has removed from its rivers, but across Europe a record-breaking 602 barriers were removed last year, according to new analysis. A report from Dam Removal Europe found that the number of dams, weirs, culverts and sluices dismantled grew by 11% from the year before, letting more waterways resume their natural course. It is part of a global trend to restore rivers to help wildlife thrive."
"The 2,324 miles (3,740km) of rivers that were reconnected through barrier removals in 2025 brings the EU a step closer to its goal of restoring 15,500 miles to their natural state by 2030. Chris Baker, the director of the European branch of Wetlands International, said: For centuries, Europe treated rivers as engines for economic growth damming them for mills and hydropower, straightening them for navigation, and burying them beneath cities. We built our prosperity by fragmenting our rivers, but the ecological price has been enormous."
"River barrier removals have increased sixfold from the first official count in 2020, according to the report. It found that Iceland and North Macedonia took down barriers for the first time in 2025. Sweden led the way with 173 barrier removals, followed by Finland with 143 and Spain with 109. The UK has removed 35 barriers. Dam Removal Europe is a coalition of environmental groups pushing to make rivers and"
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]