Hydroelectric Dams

3.5 million miles of water run throughout the United States; and since the country’s conception, over 80,000 dams have impounded 600,000 miles of these waters [1]. Dams were originally constructed to provide water to towns and establishes energy sources for mills and later hydroelectric plants. Because these dams were constructed decades ago, they’re reaching a critical point of obsoleteness where they cause more harm than good. Dam removal is increasingly popular across the country to address the ecological problems including habitat loss and sedimentation, despite potential for downstream harm, removing dams is more environmentally and economically cost effective than upgrading them. The Marmot, Glines Canyon, and Elwha river dam removal projects each highlight different challenges of dam removal, but overall

Dams built for flood control and water catchment along the rivers leading to these coasts inhibit the transport of large grained

The article “Down go the dams” by Jane C.Marks aim to provide an informative view on the current pending issue on Dams. The article starts out my mentioning the important nature of dams in our society. For example, Jane C.Marks states that today about 800,000 dams operate worldwide as well as the fact that most were built in the past century, primarily after World War II. Furthermore, the author lays down informative facts about dams such as the fact that dams control flooding and their reservoirs provide a reliable supply of water for irrigation, drinking and recreation which are all very important to society. In an economic standpoint, although it is very high maintenance dams provide jobs for people. The

The Three Gorges Dam is an unfinished project which will be the largest dam ever constructed on the planet Earth. It is situated in China on the third largest river in the world – the Yangtze. The dam has been debated over since the 1919 and is still a hot topic of debate because of its many pros and cons. In 1994 construction began on the dam, and it is expected to be finished by the year 2009. The massive dimensions of the dam are mind boggling and its functions – if the dam actually works – are truly remarkable; however, with such a large structure also comes difficulties, sacrifices, and cynics. The goal of this essay is to lend an understanding of the dam itself, the prospective benefits of

Moving into the next renewable energy, there is a big advantage that hydroelectric power is that hydropower dams is a huge renewable resource and using water to create electricity has no carbon footprint. As well as there is less pollution from it overall. There are many advantages but there are two distinct disadvantages, one of them being the cost to build an electric power station. The cost

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has built a number of dams within the United States. The Bonneville Dam and other dams along the Columbia River provided local citizens with jobs during the Great Depression and hydropower after their construction. These dams assisted in powering the Manhattan project during World War II. The Turtle Creek Dam, as it sat in 2005, was susceptible to failure if a substantial earthquake were to strike. The Corps of Engineers was contracted to upgrade this dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed a reputation of excellence throughout their existence.

Until the early 1850's California's rivers flowed freely to the Pacific Ocean. The emergence of dams started with small earthen dams used to divert water for mining and irrigation purposes. The diverted water used for hydraulic mining would prove to be the beginning of a long era of environmental degradation of California's river ecosystems. With the turn of the century came a population boom and the rapid development of urban centers and an increased demand for water. With the end of the gold rush, agriculture quickly became the main player in California's economy. This too, raised the demand for water and dams were being built at a staggering pace. The introduction of huge hydropower dams proved to be the "nail in the coffin" for anadromous fish because little or no heed was paid to the impact of dams on the state's watersheds. Today California has over fourteen hundred dams responsible for

The Bonneville Dam is located in the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington state. The Bonneville Dam began construction in 1934 and was opened by 1938. The Dam was built to generate a large amount of energy to the public, to control floods, and for irrigation. It was also constructed to improve navigation on the Columbia River. The construction of the Bonneville Dam caused negative effects to the Indian community that had centered their culture near the Columbia River. The facility administrator that was overseeing the construction of the dam was ordered to complete the dam taking any step necessary to do so. This included the decision on the disposal of personal property of the area which caused the destruction of forty Indian fishing

There should never have been an increase in the size of the dam if it was going to cause such a great impact on surrounding environments. The location where the water was released is now dead and still somewhat submerged under water. The organism have not returned, new organisms may have come but in terms of an ecological factor should not be there. Another option would have been to build the dam up instead of out, or even create a new damn in an environment that wouldn’t have been as effected, and they could have either joined the dams, or separated the flow from the Hinze dam, and the new dam could provide water to those areas not receiving water from the Hinze dam anymore. Also close by to the Hinze Dam is the Nerang Dam, so why not expand the Nerang Dam. This would have given the increase in water that the Hinze dam needed, without the that the Hinze Dam has left on the environment. I don’t if the experts who made these decisions new exactly where the water from the Hinze dam would go when it was released, and they probably thought we will worry about it when it comes to it. Or they may have known, but that may have been the area that would have been affected least, so that’s why it was chosen to flow there. So far however nothing has been done to repair the damaged area, and it has almost become a new type of environment because of

In addition, a dam could control the Colorado River during times of flooding or in cases of low amounts of water. The construction of this dam would include a massive reservoir to control silt levels, so it would sink to the bottom of lake beds instead of allowing it to clog down river irrigation canals. Another productive feature of the dam would be to supply electrical power by installing hydroelectric generators which were seen as a way to salvage the initial cost (Lusted 14). Finally, there was a national court case held to arbitrate how much water Arizona, Nevada, and California would receive which concluded in each state acquiring 7.5 million acre feet of water (Lusted 14). To commence the project geologists mapped river currents, geographical location, rock type and after two years, it was determined that the dam was to be built at Black Canyon, Colorado (Lusted 19). Consequently, blueprints were created, then a prototype was manufactured

Before construction of the actual dam could take place the Colorado River first had to be diverted, this was done by tunneling four huge diversion tunnels through the bedrock of Black Canyon. These tunnels were 56 feet in diameter, 4,000 feet long, and

Hydroelectric is a form of energy it is a renewable resource. Hydroelectricity is the most important and widely used renewable source of energy. Hydroelectric relies on water, which is clean and renewable energy source. Renewable energy comes from natural resources. Non-Renewable energy source includes coal, oil and natural gas. Water is renewable because water continually recycles itself. To harness energy from flowing water, the water must be controlled; a large reservoir is created, usually by damming a river to create an artificial lake or reservoir. Water is channeled through tunnels in the dam. The energy of water flowing through the dam causes the turbines to turn and make the

To elaborate, dam is one of major parts to discuss about firstly. The process of a dam is to store water by creating a large reservoir. This reservoir could be a lake or any other natural water source. The dam is most likely located at higher level ground than the turbines of the power plant. The dam contains gates at its bottom to control the water flow. As the gates open, the water stored in the dam flows downstream as gravity pulls everything down or towards the earth’s surface. The falling water goes through a pipeline called penstock. This pipeline leads to the turbines in the hydroelectric power plant. Much water flow in the pipeline means greater pressure from water. As the water comes down the pipeline, it hits the blades of the turbines and makes it rotate simultaneously. The speed of the rotational blades depends on the speed of the water flow. As a result, much pressure of water flow will rotate the blades with a higher force and vice versa. Francis Turbine is the turbine that is most common for building hydroelectric power plant. This type of turbine looks like a big

INTRODUCTION: Water assets building is growing massively today. Dams have the most vital part in using water assets. They were developed taxing year before increasing present data about hydrology and hydro mechanics. All through the historical backdrop of the world, dams have been utilized effectively as a part of gathering, putting away and overseeing water expected to manage human advancement. Dams have a lot of positive and negative impacts on the earth. Their advantages like controlling stream administration, subsequently forestalling surges, getting local and water system water from put away water and creating vitality from hydro control. While dam give noteworthy advantage to our general public, their effect on the encompassing incorporates resettlement and migration, financial effect, natural concerns, sedimentation issue, security angles and so on. Notwithstanding their vital social and natural advantages, it is vital to minimize the negative impacts of the hoover dam on the earth with respect to feasible advancement.

The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River will probably be finished by 2009 and will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.