Dive Into the Submerged Past.
The remains of hundreds of communities sit quietly below the waters of reservoirs in the American West and beyond. These places were deliberately moved or eliminated to make way for “river development projects” -- large dams. Help us locate and tell the stories of these drowned towns!
Detroit, Oregon Before and After Construction of the Detroit Dam
Before: Detroit, ca. 1950, Postcard from the North Santiam Historical Society After: Detroit, 1953, Photograph by Ben Maxwell
See the locations of displaced communities and the dams that caused their dislocation. Interact with photographs, oral histories, documents, and other artifacts. Overlay historical maps and aerial imagery to see change over time. Calculate the scope and scale of displacement at different scales, and read historical interpretations about community displacement and dam development.
Pack Train, Old Detroit
Help develop more comprehensive and nuanced understandings about displaced communities. Contribute your artifacts, memories, and stories to the Atlas of Drowned Towns database!
Browse, search, and filter our growing archive of photographs, documents, 3D images, oral histories, and other artifacts from and about displaced communities.
Bird's Eye View of Detroit Dam Site West, 1949
Detroit Post Office, 1950