The Theodosia River diversion dam will be the first dam in Canada decommissioned to restore fish habitat

A DECISION to decommission a British Columbia dam has observers wondering when – not if – other hydroelectric installations in Canada will be dismantled to give free flowing rivers for fish and ecology of the earth.

The Theodosia River diversion dam, about 140 kilometers northwest of Vancouver, will be the first major dam in Canada decommissioned to restore for fish natural habitat, says Mark Angelo, spokesperson for the Save the Thdosia Coalition and rivers chair of the Outdoor Recreation Council of British Coumbia.

The fact that we are willing to look at taking out dams that have outlived their usefulness sets an important precedent in Canada, says Angelo.

Theodosia dam is the first, but I am sure it won’t be last. The Save the Thoeodosia Coalition is the lone Canadian member organization of the International Rivers Network, which is promoting local and global efforts to decommission/ demolish dams and revive rivers.

The Theodosia River supported annual runs of more than 150,000 salmon before a diversion dam, built-in 1955, redirected 80 percent of the river’s flow.

The decision to remove the dam was made in February 2000 by the B.C. government.

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