Removal (disassembling) of dams and/or barriers on open watercourses

Rad tretira problematiku uklanjanja ili razgradnje postojećih brana koje pregrađuju riječna korita, a koje su bile izgrađene s najrazličitijom svrhom od obrane od poplava, preko navodnjavanja i opskrbe vodom do rekreacije, uzgoja riba itd. Radi se o procesu koji je u svijetu već odavno započeo, a osobito je intenziviran u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća u SAD-u. U Hrvatskoj se o njemu praktično ne govori, te se stoga i vrlo malo zna, a očigledno je da ćemo se i mi morati suočiti s tom problematikom. U radu su opisani brojni razlozi koji prisiljavaju da se pojedine brane moraju ukloniti. Govori se i o posljedicama koje mogu nastati nakon vršenja ovih zahvata, pozitivnim kao i onim drugim.The paper deals with issues related to the removal or disassembling of the existing dams crossing river beds, which were constructed for different purposes, from flood protection, irrigation and water supply to recreation, fish farming etc. This is a process which has globally started long ago and which is very intensive in the USA in the last several decades in particular. In Croatia, these issues are virtually not discussed at all and therefore very little known, and it is evident that we will have to face them as well. The paper describes numerous reasons for which individual dams have to be removed, including the consequences of carrying out these interventions, both positive and otherwise