There are many sources of renewable energy besides wind power. One of these is water power, dams are one way to efficiently harvest power from water. Dams convert the potential energy of water into kinetic energy by sending water under extreme pressure through a turbine and then release it down stream. One dam we are all familiar with is the Hoover dam. There are many drawbacks to this energy source one of which is the damming of streams, rivers, and lakes affects the migratory and spawning routes of many fish species. By doing this many fish species are unable to spawn and consequently populations collapse due to the over harvest of these fish because they are unable to replace themselves. Dams, like the Hoover dam, also discharge cold water downstream which affects the aquatic life living downstream. By discharging the cold water from the bottom the reservoir downstream many fish species have to either adapt or migrate out of an area, which in turn affects the productivity of said area. We have relied on dams as an energy source for many years, but now that we have researched and developed new technologies we are able to decrease our reliance on dams. If we were to destroy these dams the productivity of the area effected by the dam could soon recover, resulting in the rebound and recovery of the many species that have been affected.
Dams as an energy source
Advertisement
