A $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation program will fund a four-year study examining the future of dams in New England.
The grant was announced Monday by the University of New Hampshire. Paul Kirshen, a research professor of civil and environmental engineering at the university, will lead the project.
The study will look at strengthening connections between scientists and decision-makers about a number of options including maintaining existing hydropower dams, expanding hydropower capacity and removing aging dams to restore fisheries or reduce safety risks.
The project is an expansion of the New England Sustainability Consortium, adding Rhode Island to the partnership between Maine and New Hampshire. NEST started in 2013 to focus on the safety of coastal beaches and shellfish beds that are threatened by pollution.
