Dams: Past, Present, and Future Paras Patel. Hoover Dam The Hoover Dam is located on the borders of...
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Dams: Past, Present, and Future Dams: Past, Present, and Future Paras Patel Paras Patel
Dams: Past, Present, and Future Paras Patel. Hoover Dam The Hoover Dam is located on the borders of Nevada and Arizona, on the Colorado River. Construction
Hoover Dam The Hoover Dam is located on the borders of Nevada
and Arizona, on the Colorado River. Construction on the Hoover Dam
began in 1931 and was completed in 1935.
Slide 3
Hoover Dam The dam was built due to the cycles of drought and
flood that had prevented agricultural growth in the southwest. The
dam would also provide hydroelectric power and water supplies so
that surrounding cities would be able to flourish.
Slide 4
Hoover Dam What type of ecosystem do you expect to be present
around the Hoover Dam? How do you think the ecosystem has changed
since the dam was built?
Slide 5
Hoover Dam The benefits of building this dam include water
supplies for major cities and agriculture, as well as hydroelectric
power for surrounding areas. This dam also put a stop to the
drought and flood cycle that had been occurring for such a long
period of time. The costs of building this dam, along with other
dams on the Colorado river, include a decline in fish in the river
and changes to the surrounding ecosystem.
Slide 6
Hoover Dam Some steps have been taken to try and reduce the
steady decline of fish inhabiting the river. Fish ladders have been
built at dams so the fish can still go upstream to spawn. Bypass
tunnels have been made for fish traveling back downstream.
Slide 7
Hoover Dam Do you think it was a good idea to build this dam?
Think about the costs and the benefits, and the effects each of
them has had. Should the dam be torn down or should it be left
alone?
Slide 8
Edwards Dam The Edwards Dam is located on the Kennebec River in
Augusta, Maine. The dam was completed in 1837.
Slide 9
Edwards Dam There was much protest and controversy when this
dam was proposed. The area where the dam was to be built was
populated with fish that swam upriver to spawn. Many fisheries were
located up and down the river. A fish ladder was created when the
dam was built but it washed away and was never replaced. What would
happen to the fish if a dam was built in the river? Remember that
fish need to swim upstream to spawn.
Slide 10
Edwards Dam The Edwards Dam was built despite all of the
protest and controversy. It powered seven sawmills, a gristmill (a
mill for grinding grain) and a machine shop. The Edwards Dam was
not initially designed to generate electricity. The first electric
generators were installed in 1913.
Slide 11
Edwards Dam There were some benefits when the dam was initially
built, such as providing mechanical power for the mills, and
generating a small amount of electricity. In more recent years the
dam was only used for the small amount of hydroelectric power it
produced.
Slide 12
Edwards Dam The lack of habitat, and the lack of a fish ladder,
led to a total decimation of the fish population in the river. The
dam was also breached (broken through) several times, which cost
the dam company a lot of money to fix. The costs of building this
dam included a loss of habitat for nine species of migratory fish.
These fish had been coming from the ocean to spawn in the Kennebec
River for thousands of years.
Slide 13
Edwards Dam Think about the costs and the benefits that the dam
had. Was it a good idea to build this dam? Weigh the costs and the
benefits. Do you think this dam should be torn down or left
alone?
Slide 14
Edwards Dam The Edwards Dam was the first dam to be demolished
by the government, because the costs heavily outweighed the
benefits. It was removed in 1999. Before After
Slide 15
Three Gorges Dam The Three Gorges Dam is currently being built
on the Yangtze River in China. Licensed under the GNU Free
Documentation License.GNU Free Documentation License The dam will
be completed in 2009.
Slide 16
Three Gorges Dam This dam is going to be the largest
hydroelectric dam ever built. It is going to produce a capacity of
around 18.2 million kilowatts of power; this tops the largest dam
right now by 40 percent. Picture by Thomas R. Danford, West
Virginia Northern Community College
Slide 17
Three Gorges Dam The idea for this dam was first proposed in
1919. Planning for the construction of this dam began in 1954. One
of the purposes of this dam is to supply power to much of central
China and its growing economy. Another purpose of this dam is to
relieve the cycles of heavy flooding. A flood in 1954 killed 30,000
people and left one million people homeless.
Slide 18
Three Gorges Dam This is the Three Gorges Dam, in the process
of being built, on July 20, 2000
Slide 19
Three Gorges Dam The benefits of this dam include generating
enough power to keep pace with Chinas economic growth and
minimizing the danger of flooding. It will also reduce fossil fuel
emissions so that there is less stress on the atmospheric
environment.
Slide 20
Three Gorges Dam The costs of building this dam include moving
and resettling more than 1.1 million people, increased risk of
landslides and earthquakes, and damage to the natural habitats in
and around the river. Besides the many fish species that will be at
risk, the Yangtze Dolphin, the Chinese Sturgeon, the Chinese Tiger,
the Chinese Alligator, the Siberian Crane, and the Giant Panda will
also be affected by the building of this dam.
Slide 21
Three Gorges Dam Think about the costs and the benefits, and
the effects each of them will have. Do you think its a good idea to
build this dam? What effects do you think the dam is going to have
on the surrounding environment?
Slide 22
Three Gorges Dam When the dam is built what steps can be taken
to alleviate some of the problems the dam will cause?
Slide 23
Update: Three Gorges Dam Work in some areas of the dam has been
suspended, because the lack of proper approval by Chinas State
Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). The SEPA claims
that there was a lack of proper environmental impact checks at the
underground power station under review China has also suspended 30
other large scale projects in an effort to improve their
environmental credentials. As of February the Three Gorges Project
Corp is refusing to stop work on some of the questionable sites
despite government orders, they will most likely be fined for these
actions