成功拆壩記事－選擇性拆除不合理的水壩，以復育河川

Dam Removal Success Stories: Restoring Rivers through Selective Removal of Dams That Don't Make Sense

美國河川組織(American Rivers) ； 地球之友(Friends of the Earth) ； 鱒魚不設限(Trout Unlimited)

《台灣原住民族研究學報》 2卷1期 (2012/03) Pp. 189-207

https://doi.org/10.6396/JTIS.201203.0189

摘要

過去100年來，美國境內的水壩數量居於世界之冠。水壩工程馴服河流，以達發電、灌溉、防洪、儲水等多元目的。水壩對河系的深遠影響，只要談及保護河川資源並加以復育，水壩的相關論述舉足輕重。無論在美國或世界各地，許多重要的環境運動均反對興建大型水壩，審視大興水壩對環境、經濟、社會所造成的利弊。水壩有一定的壽命，一旦變得無用，或危及人民，往往就遭拆除。藉由拆壩來復育河川不再被視為是一種偏激、基進的方法，未來也會有更多適當時機可以用此來復育河川。有些水壩不是其弊大於利，就是可能危害大眾安全，有的甚至兩者皆是，持續從這些不合理的水壩慎選出適合拆除的水壩並加以拆除，河流才能恢復原本的川流生機，這些河所帶來的生態、安全、經濟上的利益才能開始重現。

關鍵字

拆壩 ； 自然過程 ； 溪內生態 ； 國家水壩數據庫 ； 公共監督

並列摘要

Over the past 100 years, the United States led the world in dam building-blocking and harnessing rivers for a variety of purposes, including hydropower, irrigation, flood control, and water storage. Few human actions have more significant impacts on a river system than the presence of a dam. As a result, dams occupy a central role in the debate about protecting and restoring our river resources. Many of the major environmental campaigns in the United States, and around the world, have revolved around efforts to fight construction of large dams. A less known page in the history of rivers is the large number of dams that have been removed. Just as for any building or other human construction, dams have finite lifetimes and are often removed when they become obsolete or dangerous. Now that dam removal is no longer considered a fringe, radical approach to river restoration, there will be significantly more opportunities to use dam removal as a river restoration tool where appropriate. By continuing the trend to selectively remove those dams that do not make sense-those dams where costs outweigh benefits, that pose a public safety hazard, or both-we can begin to restore the ecological, safety, and economic benefits associated with free-flowing rivers.

並列關鍵字

dam removal ； natural processes ； instream ecosystems ； national inventory of dams ； public oversight