Buttress dam

Type: Buttress dam
Material: Concrete
Age: 50 years
Purpose: To provide electric power to a large rural state
Problem: Fish are disappearing from the river
Budget: $200 million

The Opinions:
"This dam is killing the fish! Salmon normally swim upstream to grow and mature, but this gigantic dam is blocking their migration route. Before the dam was built, thousands of fish lived in this river. Today, they're almost extinct and the river is dying. Remove the dam! Restore the river!"
-- Big River Environmental Group

"According to our records, this dam provides 10 percent of the total amount of electric power to this state. The other 90 percent comes from coal, petroleum, and nuclear power plants. We believe that this dam provides a significant amount of power to this state. It should not be taken down."
-- U.S. Energy Information Administration