Edwards Dam

Edwards Dam was a hydroelectric dam on the Kennebec River in the U.S. state of Maine. It was located in Augusta, Maine, about 40 miles (64 km) upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1837 of timber and concrete, it was 917 feet (280 m) long and 24 feet (7.3 m) high. It is most famous for its removal in 1999, the first removal of a hydroelectric dam by the government against the wishes of the dam owner. The dam originally had a fish ladder, but it was destroyed by a flood shortly after construction. It suffered catastrophic breaches in 1839, 1846 and 1855. In 1999, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) refused the renewal of the dam license due to excessive negative environmental impacts, and the dam was removed, freeing a 17-mile (27 km) stretch of the Kennebec River that had been submerged for 162 years.

Dam data from Wikidata (CC0) plus curated additions. Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).