Europe is removing river barriers at record rates to boost biodiversity and climate resilience, impacting species like trout.
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The number of removed barriers on European rivers exceeded 500 in one year, setting a new record according to Dam Removal Europe, which has connected over 2900 km of rivers, including 16 km of the Bijela River in Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park. Future barrier removal is planned for the Jadra and Vrljica rivers, home to endangered native trout species, as well as on the Mirni river and Sarni stream in Medvednica Nature Park. Environmental organizations emphasize that healthy, flowing rivers are vital for climate change adaptation and biodiversity enhancement, urging continued removal of small, outdated barriers. Croatia is among four countries where barrier removals were first recorded last year; across Europe, over 1.2 million barriers fragment rivers, many of which are obsolete and degrade ecosystems, contributing to a 75% decline in migratory freshwater fish populations since 1970. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation requires member states to restore at least 25,000 km of rivers by 2030, prompting Croatia to develop a National Nature Restoration Plan to inventory and prioritize barrier removal. While many barriers are old infrastructure like mill remnants, some newer recreational ones also impede wildlife migration. Experts note that while removing barriers offers ecological benefits, some structures may have created valuable ecosystems worth considering for preservation. Barrier removal is also key to achieving the EU’s Freshwater Challenge goal of restoring 300,000 km of degraded rivers by 2030.
