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Department of Commerce |
EPA Goal 2: Protecting America’s Waters |
Purpose
In the United States, millions of dams and other barriers block fish from reaching
upstream spawning and rearing habitat. Dams often provide benefits, such as hydroelectric
power and irrigation, but many are now obsolete. Removing these structures can improve
the health of our rivers, fisheries, and our economy. In 2005, NOAA created the Open
Rivers Initiative, which provides communities with funding and technical
guidance to carry out dam and barrier removal projects that restore local
rivers and streams. The initiative is focused on community-driven dam and
river barrier removals, with the goal of enhancing watershed health and
fostering sustainable populations of migratory fish such as salmon, sturgeon,
shad, river herring, and American eel.
Source(s) of Information
1. NOAA: Open Rivers Initiative
Related EPA Program(s)
Surface Water Protection:
Protect and restore the quality of surface waters (streams, rivers, lakes). Include water quality standards
and criteria, effluent guidelines, cooling water intake regulations, water quality assessment and monitoring,
total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES),
and nonpoint sources.
Authorizing Legislation
• Clean Water Act sections:
• Effluent Guidelines – sections 301, 304, 306, 307, 501
• NPDES, Pretreatment, Biosolids - sections 104, 307, 402
• Nonpoint Source - sections 104, 314, 319
• Water Quality Standards & Criteria - sections 104, 303, 304, 405
• Assessment and Monitoring - sections 303(d), 305(b), 604(b)
Other Programs under Goal 2
Other Programs from DOC