A soft sunrise glowed over the Giovenco River in central Italy one dawn this spring, a ribbon of silver now unbroken after decades of disruption. The only sounds were the gentle lapping of water on stones and the quiet chatter of birds. Beneath the surface, fish darted upstream—an ancient rhythm reborn.
This scene captures a moment in a larger, triumphant tide sweeping across Europe: in 2024, the continent dismantled a record 542 river-blocking structures, including dams, culverts, weirs, and sluices—an 11 percent increase on the year before—according to Dam Removal Europe.
The Community-Powered Surge
What once were stone relics of ageing mills, redundant irrigation channels, or decommissioned flood gates have become symbols of renewal. Among the 23 nations joining the effort, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Turkey participated for the first time. Twenty-three nations in total—a chorus growing stronger each year.
“It’s a sign that communities and governments increasingly see the benefits of reconnecting rivers,” said Jelle de Jong, chief executive of WWF Netherlands. “Healthy, free-flowing rivers are central to adapting to the climate crisis and boosting biodiversity.” Across Europe, rivers remain the most fragmented on Earth, with 1.2 million barriers currently disrupting flow and ecology.
Small Structures, Huge Impact
A striking 90% of the removed barriers were culverts and weirs under two metres high—modest in scale, but monumental in cumulative ecological effect. One by one, these small obstructions, once considered insignificant, have proven to be stumbling blocks for fish, sediment, and ecosystem health. It turns out that freeing many small streams often restores more natural flow than removing a single large dam.
A 2020 Nature study sounded this warning: to reach the EU’s goal of restoring 25,000 km of river by 2030, what’s needed is a “paradigm shift”—recognizing that every tiny barrier matters.
Countries at the Fore
Finland led the pack in 2024, removing 138 blockages, closely followed by France (128), Spain (96), Sweden (45), and the UK (28).
In Finland, across the vast Torne watershed—an area that spreads the size of Switzerland—nearly 400 barriers are being methodically removed. In Scotland, the Marybank Weir on the Balnagown River was taken out. In Belgium, replacing 11 impassable culverts with bridges in the Rulles and Anlier catchments helped safeguard critically endangered pearl mussels.
In Italy, five barriers on the Giovenco River were removed, reconnecting an 11 km stretch for the first time in decades—the scene where this story began. Today, native fish, macro-invertebrates, and water birds once again bustle in this newly fluid ecosystem.
Hope for Freshwater Life
Why is this so crucial? Europe’s migratory freshwater fish have declined by 75 percent since 1970. Think of species like Atlantic salmon, eels, and sturgeon, whose ancient migratory routes have been cut short by a labyrinth of barriers. But the tide is turning: in the Selune River in France, after barrier removal in 2020 and 2022, salmon have returned; in Finland’s Hiitolanjoki, salmon are recolonising long-silent waters.
“A river that doesn’t flow and which isn’t connected has low biodiversity and is slowly dying,” says Herman Wanningen, director of the World Fish Migration Foundation. Where barriers come down, life rushes back. In Austria’s Lech River, a free-flowing stretch now supports otters, kingfishers, insects—and self-purifies, replenishes groundwater, and strengthens flood resilience.
A Legal Watershed
Politics is finally catching up with the science: the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation, effective August 18, 2024, mandates 25,000 km of river reconnection by 2030. Countries must submit action plans by mid‑2026—plans that the scientists argue must focus on small barriers as much as large dams.
Chris Baker of Wetlands International Europe voiced the urgency: “Obsolete barriers continue to block the natural flow of life… They belong to no one, yet harm us all. We call on policymakers to match ambition with funding, expertise, and internal procedures to facilitate their removal.”
Balancing Restoration With Safety
Yet removing barriers isn’t without complexity. Some fear reinstated natural flow may increase flood risks, while others worry about sediment release or land-use changes. In the UK, debate continues—scientists emphasize planning and floodplain restoration over rebuilding hardened barriers.
There’s another critical dimension: safety. Low-head weirs have earned the grim label “drowning machines.” A 2023 review by Dam Removal Europe tallied at least 129 fatalities and 82 incidents since 2000, many involving kayakers or swimmers caught in treacherous currents. Removing such hazards offers immediate protection for people and wildlife.
Stories of Resurgence
Back on the Giovenco, local fisherman Marco Russo smiles as he watches trout weave under sun-dappled ripples. “Five years ago, this was still blocked. Now, I can’t remember the last time I saw so many small fish. Even the kingfishers are back,” he says, voice thick with wonder.
In Belgium, ecologist Anne Dupont has watched pearl mussels—once dwindling in silence—reappear. “Replacing culverts with bridges didn’t just save mussels,” she laughs. “It reconnected our stories—with rivers, with life, with ourselves.”
The Journey Ahead
Europe’s achievement in 2024 is undeniable. But with 1.2 million barriers still in place, of which at least 150,000 are obsolete, the trench remains long. At current pace—542 removed in one year—it’s clear we’ll need to double or triple efforts to meet the 2030 goal.
A Rising Tide of Hope
What feels different now is momentum. Barrier removal projects used to be piecemeal; now they’re coordinated efforts backed by science, funding, and legislation. Local voices, like Marco’s and Anne’s, are part of a chorus whose rising harmony can reshape entire catchments.
As rivers reconnect, they restore not just fish and sediments—but communities, economies, recreation, and climate resilience. They offer lessons for flood mitigation: letting rivers meander, making room for seasonal flow across floodplains—following the landscape’s wisdom.
Europe’s rivers have faced centuries of human ambition—mills, irrigation, hydropower—but in the quiet returns of salmon and mussels, in the laughter of children wading where concrete walls once stood, the future is taking shape. If this is the beginning of a pattern, then the promise is larger than any single country: it’s a testament to what people can achieve when we let nature lead the way.
Sources:
The Guardian
Wet Lands
Eco Watch
