Damn Dams In The United States

Beside these arguments, there is also a more quantitative side to the debate. The ecological detriments of the Glen Canyon Dam have been well-documented. Extensive changes were brought about in the Colorado River ecosystem by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. Most of these alterations negatively affected the functioning of the system and the native aquatic species of the river. The reduced supply and transport of

-Growth in beaver populations meant more dams which had multiple beneficial effects on streams and rivers. Dams slow seasonal water runoff and help to maintain a healthy water supply. The pools created by dams also created good habitats for fish. More abundance of willows made great songbird habitat.

In addition, farmland has been destroyed because of the floods and the decrease in delta sediment. The dam has reduced downstream nutrients and sediment flow. And has seriously impacted neighboring river and seacoast ecosystems.

While Hydroelectric dams have many benefits/[a specific benefit]. There are many environmental drawbacks to hydro electricity. Hydroelectric dams are massive constructions of concrete cutting across parts of the wilderness. The dam itself completely intersects a river. Hydroelectric dams treats water like an inorganic resource, much like Liquid oxygen? and Nitrogen? in a rocket. However the water is also a crucial part of the ecosystem for Flora and Fauna both in and around it. Its hard to use water as a storage for gravitational potential energy as well as an ecosystem, and dams often drastically affect aquatic life

For example, due to the amount of water released to flood the land the water levels have plummeted causing severe droughts throughout the river. In the article Three Gorges Dam is Said to Hurt Areas Downstream it clearly states, “Large areas of central and southern China are suffering from the worst drought in 50 years, and the levels have plummeted in the the Yangtze River and other bodies of water.” This river is very important to China and if it completely dried up that would be a large threat to this country's society. To continue, the dam has been unsuccessful to measure the effects on other water bodies. This has presented the other rivers around the dam with lower water levels. In the article it says, “A Chinese official says the planners of the Three Gorges Dam failed to properly gauge its effects on lakes and other water bodies. As a result, the dam has contributed to lower water levels in two of China’s largest freshwater lakes…” Due to this not only will there be negative impacts for the dam the rivers will be affected too by droughts and the possibility to dry up completely. The last case of environmental effects being harmful is the impact and rapid growth of fish and plant species. According to the text it says, “In addition, the dam has had an impact of fish breeding and the growth

As you most likely know, the Mekong river is quite essential to human and animal life in its river basin. There are more than a few ways that us humans are dependent on the Mekong river. Some of these are food, water and increasingly, electricity. All of the previously mentioned needs seem important but one clashes with the others. Hydropower is à renewable energy source which is rising in popularity. Since hydropower is à renewable energy source it is not believed to be harmful to the environment. According to an expert on the topic, Professor Philip Hirsch, Hydropower is Laos’ gateway to getting rich. As stated by Xaypaseuth Phomsoupha, building these dams helps with providing à better life for the Lao population. But the disadvantages

Hydropower is taking the energy out of water flowing from a higher elevation to a lower one and converting it into electricity. Hydropower has been used as source for electricity for many years and is the leading renewable energy resource in America today. Hydropower is the most dependable and effective of all renewable power sources. “And today, about seven percent of all electricity is generated from hydropower” (DOE.org) The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest federal, public power company. TVA also has fossil fuel, nuclear, and hydropower plants. “TVA maintains 29 conventional hydroelectric dams throughout the Tennessee River System and one pumped-storage facility for the production of electricity.” (tva.gov) “Together

The 1960’s were considered the “golden age for dam construction” and contributed to thousands of dams being built across the United States. Dams are regualarly built to support recreational activities as well as hydroelectric power and water supply purposes but people recently have realized many of the negative impacts affiliated with them. Many are now 50 years old and due for relicensing which involves many tradeoffs for dam owners and public stakeholders to consider. Urbanization below such structures has brought up safety concerns from land owners and recognition of ecosystem degradation has flooded recent news and reports. Dam decommissioning is becoming more of a viable option for aging dams that are abandoned and have lost their economical use. Over 500 dams have been removed from US riverine systems since 2000 and 51 alone in 2013 (American Rivers, 2013).

Dams not only preserve water for future use but also can be used as power stations and there are other benefits (such as flood control, irrigation, electrical generation etc.) (FEMA). However, building dams involves massive financial investment from government and also a lot of displacement can occur. As a result, the cost of building dams is very high as it needs massive manpower and compensation for displacing families. Taking a dam (on Grand Coulee, Columbia river) built between USA and Canada as an example, it cost £6.5bn, it has a height of 170 metres, forming a 260 square kilometre reservoir (The guardian). 96000 people were forced to be resettled and there was a loss of some fish species. Most Indian inhabitants were not compensated for 45 years which caused a very bad feeling between government and citizens. As for the benefits, 1,400 farms have been irrigated; there is a big water source for industry and urban areas. Furthermore, huge profits have been made from hydroelectricity, which has a capacity of 6,809 megawatts of power. Overall, precise plans and calculations should be done before making the decision to build a dam.

The dam additionally produces hydroelectric power for China. Prior to the Dam was constructed they needed to transport coal, oil and gas to create control for China which is unsafe for the earth. While transporting the products, the merchandise would fall into the stream and damage the creatures living in the Yangtze River. There are different reasons why the biodiversity wasn't there any longer, in light of the fact that keeping in mind the end goal to manufacture the dam the encompassing scene has changed a considerable measure, which make issues atmosphere weakened, plant and natural life began vanishing likewise recorded relics have been

The dam will affect the environment in many negative ways. First of all when the dam blocks the water and makes a lake the plants that are now covered by water will start to decompose. The decomposing plants give off a gas called methane which is a strong greenhouse gas. Scientists estimate that this contributes 4% to the world wide greenhouse gas emissions! That is the same as the climate impact of aviation. Second dams kill fish. The water that is held back by the dam and then is suddenly let through has very little or no amounts of air in the water so the fish quickly suffocate to death. Also silt and rocks are caught in the dam instead of going down the river giving fish and plants nutrients. Finally the dams reduce the amount of fertile soil downriver. This soil is necessary for plants to grow along the river for animals to eat. These are the ways the dam will affect the environment in negative ways. The dam will affect the local people in many negative ways. First of all many tribes would lose their territory as a result of the lake made by the dam. When the dam holds back the water it would eventually get backed up enough and tribes hunting grounds, villages, and sacred places would be flooded. They would have to relocate to other places that might already be occupied by other tribes. Second the local people living on the river would lose money. Many of these people rely on fishing to get food and money for their family. When the the fish are gone they will have

A third advantage of dam building is the fact that they tame the river so as to prevent flooding due to the fact that the amount of water flowing out of the base of the dam can be controlled quite precisely. To most, this notion seems reasonable but to the raging conservationist, the river is meant to be something that is untamed and allowed to flow free and wild. There are 15 dams on the Colorado River alone and every cubic foot is metered so as to prevent the intense flooding that is historically supposed to occur every spring[4]. The flooding that occurs seasonally on many rivers is vital to maintain certain river-bank ecosystems; however, it is extremely devastating to the communities that

Dams: The dam is made on a river to collect water and also serves as a water reservoir. To make water have higher potential energy and also control the water flow through pen stocks.

Industries and product processing are able to utilize the water stored by reservoirs. Reservoirs alls provide for recreational activities, which can boost local economies. Dams can minimize the risk of flooding by reducing the peak flows and providing more time for downstream notification. Conversely, the storage of water in reservoirs can also pose a great risk to nearby communities in the event that the dam integrity fails.

Dam is a barrier constructed that hold water to form a reservoir generate as a water supply. It is