Historians have long looked relatively uncritically at the history of hydropower in the Alps. Their focus lay on the economic and infrastructural development stemming from hydropower plants, which has thus resulted in structurally weak regions. Beyond this narrative, however, social and environmental history also exposes other aspects of Alpine hydroelectricity. The reservoirs and run-of-river power plants extracted water from numerous mountain valleys, claiming the land previously intended for settlement and agriculture and thus leading to the resettlement and displacement of many villages. The present contribution critically examines such aspects of hydropower by describing the resettlement practices in various Alpine countries. The social consequences of reservoir construction for the riverine communities that were directly affected are thus revealed.