The geographic distribution of small dams in Oregon using ecoregion and landform classification

Abstract

Small dams fragment river landscapes, disrupting channel connectivity and impacting water quality and quantity. Although they impound volumetrically less total water than large dams, the ubiquity of small dams suggests their cumulative impacts could be significant. Documenting the distribution and characteristics of small dams is necessary to understanding and mitigating their impacts. In this study, we compare datasets of small dams in Oregon, compile a new comprehensive dataset, and document geographic variations in small dam distributions between different ecoregions. We used Oregon Water Resources Department dam and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fish passage barrier datasets to compare dam heights and contributing drainage areas between different ecoregions. Over 61% of Oregon’s land area is above one or more small dam. We highlight the location of Oregon’s small dams at valley margins, transition zones between flat plains and mountains, and areas of high population density. Given the hidden nature of small dams, evaluation of small dam impacts using public imagery is not effective. However, knowledge of small dam distributions given their association with landforms can aid in finding unrecorded dams, assessing approaches for evaluating their geomorphic impacts, and informing their management.