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INTRODUCTION America is at a crossroad; to move forward, we need a new vision for how to live on the land, how to power our communities, and how to manage our waterways. In many parts of the country, solar, wind, and other alternatives now replace fossil fuels for energy. But hydropower – long seen as “clean and green” – is also being questioned. Dammed reservoirs virtually carpet the Northeast: there are roughly 8,500 large dams recorded for New England, NY, PA and MD in the National Inventory of Dams (NID). Small dams not present in the national inventory probably double this number. Beginning in 1880, hydroelectric turbines used water energy to generate electricity. Many dams of that era were constructed to power small mills and factories. The U.S. “great age of dam-building” began in the 1920s, peaked in the 1970s, and new dam construction continues even now. However, many old dams outlive their usefulness, sparking new conversations about dam removal and river restoration. In parts of the Northeast, particularly New England, this has revived interest in both coastal rivers and restored connectivity between watersheds and the Atlantic. The values generated by re-connecting continental and marine ecosystems include economic, social and environmental benefits. Reconnecting natural hydrology provides sediment substrate for coastal wetlands, which serve as valuable habitat for fish, birds, and wildlife, and builds shorelines that resist coastal storms. Reconnecting natural waterways enhances and restores marine and “sea-run” fishes to their native migratory reaches. The Susquehanna River has been disconnected from the sea for nearly 90 years by four mainstem dams. The Conowingo Dam, located 9 miles (15 km) above the head of Chesapeake Bay, has largely prevented fish from moving into the Susquehanna River from the Bay since 1928. Since then, the Conowingo Reservoir became the “new normal” for surrounding communities, and allowed further power development to occur upstream. There is societal memory loss of the Susquehanna River as a public trust. What would it be like if the status quo was altered? What would the system look like without dams?