Book
Undammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life
Tara Lohan
TL;DR
Tara Lohan traces the dam removal movement and what happens to a river once the concrete is gone. Island Press published Undammed on October 14, 2025, with the Klamath River takedown in California and Oregon at its center.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Island Press
- Published
- October 14, 2025
- Pages
- 264
- ISBN
- 9781642833348
Four dams came off the Klamath River in California and Oregon, and Tara Lohan's Undammed follows what happened to the river afterward.
Island Press describes the book as charting the rise of the dam removal movement and sharing the benefits of undamming waterways for plants, animals and people.
Why OGSP Recommends It
One Good Story Project recommends Undammed because it shows what can happen when outdated or harmful dams are removed. Environmental journalist Tara Lohan examines how free-flowing rivers can improve water quality, support fish and wildlife, protect nearby communities, and restore resources important to Native American Tribes.
The book follows dam-removal projects across the country, with particular attention to the removal of four dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon. Lohan tells the story through the people, communities, and waterways directly affected, making river restoration understandable even for readers who are new to the subject.
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Related Resources
Key Takeaways
- Maven's Notebook flagged it in December 2025 as a new book on the dam removal movement.
- Salmon and orca recovery in the Pacific Northwest is one of the threads the book follows.
- Tara Lohan reports on water, climate and energy for the Nation, High Country News, Grist and The Revelator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Undammed?
Tara Lohan, an environmental journalist and editor based in Bend, Oregon. She edited two earlier books on the global water crisis.
When was Undammed published?
It came out on October 14, 2025.
Does Undammed cover California rivers?
Yes. The Klamath flows through California and Oregon, and its four dams are the book's longest single thread.
What is the book Undammed about?
It focuses on what happens when a dam is taken down, told through the movement that has been taking them out. Maven's Notebook describes its longest thread, the Klamath, as the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the world.