Compilation of cost estimates for dam removal projects in the United States

Dates

Publication Date: 2023-05-12
Start Date: 1965-01-01
End Date: 2020-12-31

Citation

Duda, J.J., Johnson, R.C., Jensen, B.L., Wagner, E.J., Richards, K., and Wieferich, D.J., 2023, Compilation of cost estimates for dam removal projects in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9G8V371.

Summary

This dataset provides cost estimates for 668 dam removal projects occurring in the United States. Cost estimates were obtained by searching the internet for sources of information that mention the cost of dam removal projects listed in the USGS Dam Removal Information Portal. When cost data were not available for a dam removal but contact information was, then personal communications were used to acquire additional cost information. The accuracy of estimates is not known but we assume that most estimates represent close to the total cost or the minimum financial cost, with overestimates being rare. Total cost information could include component costs related to project planning, dam deconstruction cost, and several categories of mitigation [...]

Summary

This dataset provides cost estimates for 668 dam removal projects occurring in the United States. Cost estimates were obtained by searching the internet for sources of information that mention the cost of dam removal projects listed in the USGS Dam Removal Information Portal. When cost data were not available for a dam removal but contact information was, then personal communications were used to acquire additional cost information. The accuracy of estimates is not known but we assume that most estimates represent close to the total cost or the minimum financial cost, with overestimates being rare. Total cost information could include component costs related to project planning, dam deconstruction cost, and several categories of mitigation for dam removal, such as sediment removal, water diversions, water treatment plants, revegetation, and bank stabilization efforts. We tracked cost estimates and project details from several types of source material, including technical reports, books, newspaper articles, web pages including blog posts, and presentations. The original cost estimate and the year in which the cost estimate was made (most often the same date as dam removal) was used to calculate the cost in 2020 dollars adjusted for inflation using RS Means, an inflation calculator that is used in the construction industry. Information about each dam includes the purpose, size, and construction material, and reason for removal. Additional geographic information about the location of the dam, the river the dam occurred on, and watershed characteristics were obtained from the National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus version Version 2.1). Finally, we collected source material about the presence of 32 different categories of cost drivers that could explain the overall cost of the dam removal project. This data release contains a CSV file of the core cost database, a JSON file with citation information for sources used to develop the cost database, and a PDF file of evidence that serves as a backup in cases of URL failure for internet sourced material. For usability of dam removal cost source information, a zotero citation collection is also available at https://www.zotero.org/groups/4725574/dam_removal_cost/library.

Contacts

Point of Contact :: Jeffrey Duda
Originator :: Jeffrey Duda, Rachelle C Johnson, Benjamin L Jensen, Ella J Wagner, Kyla B Richards, Daniel J Wieferich
Metadata Contact :: Jeffrey Duda
Distributor :: GS ScienceBase
Publisher :: U.S. Geological Survey

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USGSdamremovalcost_metadata.xml Original FGDC Metadata	View	63.9 KB	application/fgdc+xml
USGSdamremovalcost_citations.csv		80.84 KB	text/csv
USGSdamremovalcost_data.csv		183.81 KB	text/csv
dam_removal_cost_zotero_collection.json		1.47 MB	application/json
USGSdamremovalcost_citations_evidence_backup.zip		139.35 MB	application/zip

Related External Resources

Type: Online Link

Web Link	https://doi.org/10.5066/P9G8V371

Type: webLink

Digital Data	https://doi.org/10.5066/P9G8V371

Type: Related Primary Publication

Jumani, S., Andrews, L., Grantham, T.E., McKay, S.K., Duda, J., and Howard, J., 2023, A decision‐support framework for dam removal planning and its application in northern California: Environmental Challenges, v. 12, p. 100731, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2023.100731.	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2023.100731
Duda, J.J., Jumani, S., Wieferich, D.J., Tullos, D., McKay, S.K., Randle, T.J., Jansen, A., Bailey, S., Jensen, B.L., Johnson, R.C., Wagner, E., Richards, K., Wenger, S.J., Walther, E.J., and others, 2023, Patterns, drivers, and a predictive model of dam removal cost in the United States: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, v. 11, https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1215471.	https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1215471

Purpose

The purpose of this dataset is to provide dam removal cost estimates and associated cost drivers that provide managers, stakeholders, and the public with the information necessary to help make informed decisions about dam decommissioning.

Type	Scheme	Key
DOI	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	https://doi.org/10.5066/P9G8V371
USGS_ScienceCenter	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	Western Fisheries Research Center
USGS_MissionArea	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	Ecosystems
USGS_keywords	https://www.sciencebase.gov/vocab/category/item/identifier	Aquatic Biology, Ecology, Water Resources

Compilation of cost estimates for dam removal projects in the United States

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