New Books Network Tara Lohan, "Undammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life" (Island Press, 2025)
Jan 27, 2026
Tara Lohan, environmental journalist and author focused on water and biodiversity. She discusses why storytelling connects readers to rivers. She explores dam removal methods, sediment management, and tradeoffs between wetlands and free-flowing rivers. She highlights tribal leadership, legal frameworks, and the social benefits of restoring waterways.
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Storytelling Strengthens Science Communication
- Narrative storytelling helps readers emotionally connect to environmental science and places.
- Tara Lohan used that voice to make dam removal research accessible and compelling.
Dam Removal Benefits Extend Beyond Fish
- Dam removals often deliver wide community benefits beyond fish recovery, like improved water quality and recreation.
- Lohan found removals reshape people's relationship with rivers and local public access.
Dam Removal Advances Indigenous Rights
- Indigenous communities have led many dam-removal efforts to restore treaty-protected resources and cultural ties.
- Lohan highlights Penobscot, Elwha, and Klamath as examples where removal aided tribal restoration.
