Economics of Hydroelectric Power (New Horizons in Environmental Economics) Book

It is shocking that there are so many dams in the U.S. that were built in the first place and secondly that so very many of them no longer serve any purpose. Removing dams that no longer have a purpose is a significant thing that can be done for ecological restoration, but it is also a need that will take a lot of money. What was nice about this book was the detailed, personal view of the chosen dams that came from the author's visits to them and discussions with local citizens who have been involved with the issue of removal. The author visited dams from all regions of the U.S. Most people cannot remember or have any idea what areas were like before the dams were built. What this book doesn't examine are newer proposed and built dams, such as the Three Gorges dam in China and Su-Watana in Alaska. There is not much cost/benefit analysis on the electricity provided by dams and the ecological damage caused by dams. I would have preferred more synthesis in the writing instead of the detailed quotes from so many different people.