It might be time to remove old, undermaintained dams

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State University researchers say we need to start analyzing and removing dams that have not been maintained and may be a danger to the community and ecosystem.

Sarah Null, professor of watershed science at Utah State University, said she and her team went through a series of 50 studies published between 2009 and 2024. According to their report, if a dam has been not well-maintained or wasn’t designed for our current weather patterns, it could be a huge problem for our communities and surrounding areas. 

“Sometimes they’re filled with sediment, and they don’t have enough storage space,” Null said. “Sometimes our storms are changing, so we’re getting a lot more precipitation in a shorter amount of time, and our dams just weren’t built for those conditions.”

She said in situations like that, the dams could overflow and cause major flooding and destruction. Making it better for the area if the dam were removed.

The team also looked at whether the dams could be retrofitted, but determined it is cheaper to take them out. 

“I checked those stats over and over and over because I just, I was having trouble believing it, but every paper and every study reemphasizes that it’s often more expensive to retrofit or maintain dams than it is to take out the obsolete ones that we know aren’t helping us anymore.”

It was only a few months ago that Utah received a C+ on a report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Many of the problems they cited had to do with Utah’s dams and other water structures. The report shows that only 52% of the state’s dams are in a satisfactory state.

She said in addition to dams, smaller barriers like culverts should be looked at as well. 

“Sometimes these are built a hundred years ago and really just nobody’s paying attention to them,” Null said, “As those things back up behind them, then they could fail and maybe wash out a road.”

While she said these are not as dangerous, they are still needless. They stop fish, nutrients and sediments from moving downriver. 

“Those are the ones that are probably easier to take out,” Null said.

Related: State approves Panguitch Lake Dam reconstruction