A record 602 river barriers, including dams, culverts, and sluice gates, were removed across Europe last year to restore natural river flow and revive ecosystems. The initiative, reported by The Guardian citing Dam Removal Europe, reconnected about 2,324 miles of waterways and brought the European Union closer to its goal of restoring 15,500 miles of rivers by 2030. One symbolic project was Iceland’s Melsa River, where an unused dam that once powered a farm was demolished in December, allowing fish to migrate freely again.

Sweden led the list with 173 barriers removed, followed by Finland with 143 and Spain with 109. Iceland and North Macedonia removed barriers for the first time, while the United Kingdom dismantled 35. Most of the removed structures were under two meters high, making the process cost-effective and practical. The effort aligns with the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, effective since 2024, which targets obsolete barriers.

Environmental groups and engineers say the removals are reversing centuries of industrial alteration that caused severe ecological damage, including a 75% decline in freshwater migratory fish since 1970.