Weirs, culverts and sluices among 602 barriers demolished in year in attempt to restore 15,500 miles of rivers by 2030A few miles downstream from a lava field in western Iceland, the gargle of free-flowing water is unbroken for the first time in decades after hydraulic peckers chipped away at a dilapidated dam that once powered a farm. The structure, on the River Melsá, continued to block fish migration long after falling into disrepair.“It wasn’t providing any electricity; the old power house had sheep living in it,” said Hamish Moir, a river engineer from CBEC, a Scottish firm that provided technical support for the demolition in December. To see the river restored to its natural state, he said, “was really rewarding”. Continue reading...

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/21/record-number-of-dams-dismantled-in-europe-in-effort-to-help-wildlife-thrive