- 5,270 large dams blocked rivers in 1950
- 36,500 large dams block rivers today
- 17 percent of U.S. rivers are currently dammed
- 600,000 miles of rivers in the U.S. have been impounded behind dams
- 235,000 miles of rivers in the U.S. have been channelized
- 25,000 miles of rivers in the U.S. have been dredged for navigation
- 80 percent of river water in California is used for irrigation
- 87 percent of river water in Arizona is used for irrigation
- 25 percent of U.S. dams are older than their life expectancy of 50 years
Sources:
1, 2 — World Resources Institute
3-7 — American Rivers