Edwards Dam removal (1999)
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered removal of the Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River after determining its power output was worth less than the fish passage costs it imposed. It was the first FERC-ordered removal for environmental reasons.
Striped bass, alewives, and Atlantic salmon returned upstream within months. The river's ecosystem shifted visibly within a year.
The ruling established that FERC can weigh ecological costs against power benefits, creating a legal path used later for the Klamath.
Edwards set the regulatory precedent that led to the Klamath agreement. The Klamath shows what that precedent can do at industrial scale.
