Abstract
ABSTRACTDams are a critical component of water infrastructure, providing services such as water supplies, recreational opportunities and flood control. At the same time, dams alter the flow regime of rivers and the biota that inhabit them. Large dams have been the subject of many studies because of their potentially significant impacts on stream hydrology and ecosystems. However, most dams are not large and consequently have received far less attention. Data for more than 5700 dams in New York State, USA located in 17 watersheds were used to develop watershed level metrics that relate the characteristics of the dams to the hydrology and demographics of each watershed. Metrics presented, stratified by watershed, include median structure age, density, dams per stream length, persons per dam, storage per drainage area, storage per person and percent high impact dams (high hazard and large). These metrics were used to perform a simple characterization of the 17 watersheds. Considerable regional differences in these parameters suggest varying management strategies in each watershed. A new era of river management has resulted in the removal of many dams, which is driven by the high cost of maintenance and state regulations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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