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Little is known about the effects dam removal can have on a river, but Geography and Earth Sciences Professor Frank Magilligan is out to change that.

PBS NewsHour recently featured Magilligan for his research on New Hampshire’s Ashuelot River, which was undammed one year ago. Using laser and GPS devices, Magilligan and his students are mapping the river’s topography and studying its flow. They will compare their new data with information gathered before the river’s undamming.

Magilligan has already observed several feet of riverbank disappear in certain locations. In other areas, the bank has grown.

Watch the full video, published by NewsHour on 11/4/11.