As an example of how the Savannah River might fare if New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam were removed, environmental groups such as The Nature Conservancy have cited one of the nation's first dam removal projects, which occurred in 1999 in Augusta, Maine.

Just like its New Savannah Bluff counterpart, the Edwards Dam -- demolished to allow the Kennebec River to run free -- was obsolete and impeded the river's natural flow and the spawning runs of migratory fish.

Though skeptics voiced concerns similar to those surrounding New Savannah Bluff, the removal proved over time to be a wise choice, said Dr. Lynne Lewis, an associate professor and economist at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

"People on the impoundment were terrified they would have ugly mud flats," said Dr. Lewis, who published a paper this year on the economic consequences of the dam's removal.

"In the end, we found enormous benefits to recreation and property values, and people living along the former impoundment were very happy," she said.

Biologists were surprised by the speed with which the natural-flowing river corrected a century of blockage by man.

"The very next season the salmon were knocking at the door of the next dam upstream," Dr. Lewis said. "People knew it would come back and be beautiful, but it was a pleasant surprise to see it happen in so little time."

Dr. Lewis also studied economic effects of the dam removal and learned that property values improved, as did recreational spending on activities such as fishing, kayaking and ecotourism.

The removal of Edwards Dam has spawned the removal of almost 200 other dams around the nation, with many others in the planning stages, according to American Rivers, a conservation group dedicated to restoration of natural river flows.