Lovelace Dam Removal

Produced by Crystal Nichols, formerly of the Rogue River Watershed Council, this video details the 2023 demolition of Lovelace Dam along Slate Creek, a key spawning tributary of the Applegate River in the Rogue Basin in Josephine County, and features remarks from WaterWatch's Southern Oregon Program Director Jim McCarthy and other key stakeholders. An important dam earmarked for demolition on Oregon's Fish Passage Priority list, the removal of Lovelace Dam was not only built upon earlier successful dam removals, but improved access to some 26 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead, and was the first dam in the nation to be removed with funding from NOAA Fisheries under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

[@Korina42]

So satisfying to see waterways freed. Congratulations!

[@jimmiller5600]

We need to do something about the factory fishing in the ocean. Asia has hundreds of large fishing vessels stripping the ocean clean of life. Out of sight, out of mind until they have killed everything and return home empty.

[@alex.velasco]

Not just Asia. Stop pointing fingers. To attain sustainable development everyone everywhere must do their part.

[@jimmiller5600]

@@alex.velasco When certain country's entire fleet turns off it's AIS what do you think happens?

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

@@jimmiller5600 a good point in reality, Jim.

[@Captainumerica]

Yeah. Stop eating cheap sushi.

[@maddierosemusic]

They do purse seining in the Chesapeake Bay, raping the filter fish, menhaden, and then stripers eat small crabs instead of menhaden and people wonder "Where are all the crabs and why is the Bay not clean? " Bad politicians.

[@2wahineandadog]

Well done to all involved it is so lovely now!!!

[@buckgreen4598]

WELL DONE !

[@RickLowrance]

It's certainly nice to know they named a dam after Linda.

[@Simonsimon-fy3hq]

Also my first thought. I wonder many people don't get the reference!

[@jimmiller5600]

Europe removed 500 dams last year. Let's keep going.

[@ut000bs]

Weigh the good of no dams with the bad.

[@ThatOneGuyWithTheEye]

Stupid.

[@hotttt28]

Less talk more action !

[@mach318]

Very nice 👍❤

[@babyboomercritic1119]

Thank you.

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

Comparing this dam to a usual log jam.

[@nonewherelistens1906]

Well done. If you unbuild it, they will come.

[@peterhicks3516]

Great job.
Onto the next dam upstream. It seems like you could remove a dam each week. the science is in, no need for endless REPETITIVE studies, just go for it.

[@snarkymcsnarkles3493]

Nice, i wonder how many thousands of dollars were wasted tossing some downed trees in the creek. Literally. how many thousands of dollars got spent doing that portion.....

[@williamlloyd3769]

Why wait 20-30 years for the natural cycle to place fallen trees in the creek? Might as well get on with full restoration.

[@ut000bs]

@@williamlloyd3769 …if necessary. Nature know wtf she's doing.

[@jonmatthews4254]

Why was the dam built?

[@TheJhtlag]

Yeah, happy talk video that doesn't explain anything

[@Captainumerica]

The really sad aspect is that, had authorities and companies not been so stubborn about their "vision of progress", such small dams could have been mitigated by adding stones and gravel against their wall to allow fish to pass. Decades wasted in senseless ideological fight... 😑

[@northwoodsdad7506]

Now reintroduce beaver to the area.

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

So they can rebuild the dam?

[@northwoodsdad7506]

@@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists
Beaver are natural to the rivers. They build small dams which create riparian habitat and help regenerate the water table by slowing the water run off. Fish can jump over the dams. The beaver dams also clean the water by trapping the sediment and creating natural wetlands where the vegetation traps sediment. The benefits are numerous. Too many to address is a short reply...

[@maddierosemusic]

Now remove the dam at the Great Falls of the Missouri, what a disgrace.

[@scottscouter1065]

So, this is a case of Riparian Repair...nice.

[@sierrapeaks]

How are beaver dams good but human dams bad?

[@ut000bs]

We know more than Mother Nature. Trust me. We could have either just simply knocked it down and walked off or just left it alone. Nature didn't care either way but we get to feel good about it.
(This is simple job creation and we're mesmerized by it like it is magic or a religious event.)
**Just a different point of view. Neither right nor wrong.**

[@timshields4014]

Ya the world is drying up why keep dams full of water anywhere, these people are the ones to thank 😂

[@wmose3694]

all these people having fun ripping out small dams are you also reintroducing beavers to the aria and letting them build back more porous dams or are you just having fun returning a water way to another man made modification