Given the burgeoning dam removal movement and the large number of dams
approaching obsolescence in the United States, cost estimating data and
tools are needed for dam removal prioritization, planning, and
execution. We used the list of removed dams compiled by American Rivers
to search for publicly available reported costs for dam removal
projects. Total cost information could include component costs related
to project planning, dam deconstruction, monitoring, and several
categories of mitigation activities. We compiled reported costs from 455
unique sources for 668 dams removed in the United States from 1965 to
2020.