Dam Construction

Dam Construction is one of the many environmental problems that we have had. It destroys rivers and river life while it only helps the environment just a little bit.

 Dams have actually been around from 3,000 B.C. but have been wreaking havoc since the 1990s since we have started to perfect it.

The problem is that when they build the dams into the river, it destroys the river flow and may cause the river to turn into a lake with no flow. Also, it may cause the river level to either rise suddenly or decrease suddenly due to the needs of the population. (Usually, people need less water in the winter and more water in the summer).

But the real problem is the effects on the food chain. The effect on the salmon, or fish in general, is terrible. Without the flow of the river, there isn’t enough spawning areas for the salmon.

Without the flow of the river, there isn’t enough spawning areas for the salmon. Also, there isn’t enough protection from predators, further reducing the salmon population. And, with the blades of the dam producing hydroelectricity, it can cut the fish and kill them. So, how do we fix this problem?

Fortunately, we have a solution to this problem! By changing where we collect our water sources, we can be able to remove dams that already exist and stop building more dams. So, how are we and where are we going to collect water from?

Some water sources that we can collect water from are rainwater and groundwater. First, to be able to carry out this way of gathering water, we need to be able to find the best places to pump up the groundwater and find the rainiest spot to collect the rainwater. If the rainwater or groundwater needs to be pumped or gathered from another nearby state, we could have tubes underneath the ground to send out the water to nearby towns and farms.

Next, we would have to filter the water that we gathered which wouldn’t be too much of a change since we need to filter water that we need to drink anyway.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s change our ways and switch to ground and rainwater and, let’s get rid of dams for good!

Here are the cites:

“Why Dams Won’t Solve Water Supply Needs.” American Rivers, www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/restoring-damaged-rivers/dams-wont-solve-water-needs/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.

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“Dams Are Problem Creators, Not Problem Solvers.” American Rivers, americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/energy-development/dams-problem-creators-not-problem-solvers/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.

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Fisheries, NOAA. “How Dams Affect Water and Habitat on the West Coast | NOAA Fisheries.” NOAA, 27 Sept. 2019, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/endangered-species-conservation/how-dams-affect-water-and-habitat-west-coast#more-information. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.