"Aging structures dubbed 'deadbeat dams' choke off habitat and threaten human life in some instances. Native nations are at the forefront of the effort to address these lingering dams".
"WILDBOY CREEK, Washougal – Kwoneesum Dam once had a purpose. It created a lake for girls attending a summer camp to swim, canoe and sail. But just two decades after the dam was built in the mid-1960s, the camp closed, and the land was sold to a timber company.
Ever since, it has obstructed this tributary of the Washougal River east of Vancouver, blocking 6.5 miles of habitat for coho salmon and summer steelhead — fish that have nourished citizens of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and other Native nations in the region for generations.
Kwoneesum is just one example of the dams that have outlived their usefulness. These aging structures, dubbed “deadbeat dams'' by some working toward their removal, choke off habitat, and threaten human life in some instances. It's a problem gaining more recognition across the country."
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