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Dams
A barrier constructed across a waterway to control the flow or raise the level of water.
1,255 Questions
What region is the Grand Coulee dam located in?
The Grand Coulee Dam is located in the state of Washington in the United States. Currently, there are visitors that come to see the dam, with tours of the nearby power plant available nearly every day.
What type of dam is the grand coulee dam?
No, it was and is neither the largest or tallest dam in the US. However, it was and is the largest single hydroelectric power-generating dam in the US and North America. It is the largest power production plant (6800 mW) in the US, and the 7th largest in the world as of 2014.
What will happen to the environment if a dam is built?
A dam was built in Canada years ago. And one day the controller thought that the water level was too high so he let the water run out into the river that had been dammed.
It just so happened that a large group of migrating cariboo wanted to cross that same river that same day. Needless to say the water level was so high in the river that all the cariboo drowned and never made it to the other side.
So my answer is: Maybe nothing bad will happen to us, but maybe a lot of bad things will happen the animals near the dam.
Obviously, a large area is submerged when a dam is built, and this may be home to unique and endangered flora and fauna. Water which flows from hydroelectric dams is from the bottom of the dam where it is cold, dark, low in oxygen, and almost lifeless. This affects the ecosystem for many miles downstream.
BenefitThe reservoir created by a dam, while taking away some terrestrial habitat, can improve wetland, shoreline, and aquatic habitat.
Another perspective...I have not heard of any examples of reservoirs improving wetlands except maybe in arid climates, but then many types of wetlands do not naturally belong in arid climates. Also, they do not create aquatic habitat so much as just change it from a naturally flowing wild river to a lake, which is a completely different water body and supports a completely different ecosystem.
Dams do provide more shoreline probably, and also help control water supply, generate electricity, improve agriculture, help in flood control, and provide additional water contact recreational opportunities.
However, dams are, by and large, damaging to the environment. They disrupt the natural flow regime of a river, disconnecting the river from its flood plain. The previous commenter mentioned dams improving wetlands. That may be true around the reservoir, but usually, all the wetlands wetlands below the dam suffer and often disappear completely.
We like to think that reservoirs help to improve water supply and aid in flood control, but sometimes, dams can have exactly the opposite effect. In many years, average rainfall will result in our ability to operate dams to their full effect, capturing more the snowmelt, reserving water for increased demand later in the year, controlling potential flooding from heavy rainstorms, etc. And while engineeers have done a lot of good for us, I have zero confidence in the ability of engineers to overcome nature in the long run. A river and its wetlands are already designed to deliver exactly the amount of water for natural communities in the watershed. Wetlands have numerous functions essential to healthy riverine processes. They serve as habitat for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, serve as nurseries for young fishes and amphibians, and help filter out pollutants. They also act like sponges, absorbing water during the spring melt and releasing it back to the river later in the year when the river requires more water. All of those ecosystem functions may be taken away when a dam is built.
In addition, natural communities in the river are adapted to river life. Dams interrupt those communities. Dams are responsible for endangering numerous species, including salmon and freshwater mussels. They are hurting salmon by impairing the ability of adult salmon to swim up their home rivers to spawn, and also impede the ability of spawned salmon fry to swim downstream as they migrate toward the ocean. Also, as a family, the Unionidae (freshwater mussels) are probably the most endangered family of any in the animal kingdom. Most freshwater mussels require flow, an some exist in very localized populations. So when a dam is built and suddenly there is no flow, whole species of mussels may go extinct, and many probably already have.
Unintended consequencesMany dams have been built to control the flow of rivers. Recent flooding in the midwestern United States is thought to be caused not by climate change but the fact that the dams have allowed silt to build up and, in effect, have shallowed the riverbed. Periodic natural flooding creates a deeper channel and lessens the severity of future flood events, and this is not possible with the system of dams the way it is.
How was Herbert Hoover involved in the construction of the Hoover Dam?
No. It wasn't even originally named the Hoover Dam. It was called the Boulder Dam until Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated it to Hoover. It was built between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression.
Dams-types of dams and utilities of dams?
The various types of dams are:
- Gravity Dams
- Earth Dams
- Rockfill Dams
- Arch Dams
- Buttress Dams
- Steel Dams
- Timber Dams
- Rubber Dams
On the basis of functions of dam, it can be classified as:
- Storage
- Diversion
- Detention
- Debris
- Coffer
Reference: http://blog.thecivilengg.com/types-of-dams/
Why do we prefer concrete dam in V shaped area?
floods less land, uses less materials (concrete, steel...) to construct dam
How many dams in Pakistan and what are their names?
There are 14 dams in Pakistan. They are:
-Akhori Dam
-Donhngi Dam
-Ghazi Barotha Dam
-Gomal Dam
-Gomal Zam Dam
-Hub Dam
-Kalabagh Dam
-Karoonjhar Dam
-Khanpur Dam
-Mangla Dam
-Mirani Dam
-Shakidor Dam
-Simly Dam
-Tarbela Dam
Other names that came up under 'Dams in Pakistan are':
-Guddu Barrage
-Indus Basin Project
-Rawal Lake
-Sukkur Barrage
http://wiki.answers.com/What_are_the_names_of_the_various_dams_in_Pakistan#ixzz19cbuQFaG
The primary reason beavers build dams is to protect themselves from predators like bears, hawks, wolves, wildcats, and otters and to secure easy access to food, especially during the colder months.
Why dams are called multipurpose projects?
Dams have been called as multipurpose projects because the water it stores is used for many things apart for irrigation. For example: 1. It can be used for domestic purposes 2.Electricity generation 3. Industrial uses, etc.
How long did the panic and how was order restored in the story the day the dam broke?
The panic lasted no more than two hours, during which time the militiamen were tasked with bringing the city back under control while operating their trucks. Via their megaphones, they made it abundantly clear that the dam had not broken and that uncertainty and poor communication was to blame for the entire terrifying spectacle. Those who can run four to twelve miles made it back to work using a variety of fictitious justifications.
How does the panic appears in the chapter 'the day the dam broke'?
In the lesson "The Day the Dam Broke," James Thurber provides a humorous account of human follies. A rumor about the impending collapse of an Ohio River dam set off the hysteria. When someone fled eastward on Broad Street, the hysteria may have been worse. It's possible that the man was just remembering a date with his wife to meet at Maramor restaurant. Another person, possibly a newsboy in good spirits, starts to run. Soon after, another dapper man began to trot as well. Then, a loud murmur gradually crystallized into the terrifying word "Dam," which means "the dam has cracked!" 2000 people were running in full force down the high street within ten minutes, shouting, "GO EAST!" The dam has broken, "GO EAST!"
How can using a dam as a source of freshwater also harm wildlife?
Ecosystem Modification
Changing a habitat from a river to a lake can have many negative effects on fish. The presence of the dam may also change the way predators and prey interact. In many cases the negative effects of these changes are greater than the direct effects of the dam itself.
Loss of Habitat
Most salmon are adapted to living in rivers so changing their habitat to a lake often has negative consequences on their life cycle. This is especially true for activities such as spawning.
Predator/Prey Relationships and Non-native Species
Changes to the river caused by dams and reservoirs may actually benefit predators while making salmon more vulnerable. Fish delayed while trying to pass a dam are often the targets of predators. Changes to habitat may benefit predator species allowing them to increase their numbers. For example, the northern pike minnow, a native predator, prefers slow water habitat.
Examples:
Sturgeon
- Dams divide rivers, creating upstream and downstream habitats. But migratory fish, such as sturgeon, depend on the whole river. Dams block their ability to travel back upstream. Sturgeon also rely on temperature triggers and shallow areas for reproduction. Because dams change how rivers flow, the water temperature and natural conditions also change. This prevents sturgeon from mating and/or hinders the development of fish larval.
Egrets
- Egrets, along with other wetland birds, depend on healthy river systems for food and shelter. They make their nests in the steep banks of rivers or floodplain thickets. Dams prevent the natural highs and lows of rivers They can also reduce the breeding ground of migratory fish—a key food source for egrets—and cloud the waters, making it harder for egrets to spot their prey.
What should you do when approaching a low head dam in a canoe or kayak?
Carry your craft around the dam
What are the ratings and certificates for The American Experience - 1988 Grand Coulee Dam 24-6?
The American Experience - 1988 Grand Coulee Dam 24-6 is rated/received certificates of:
USA:TV-PG
What is the biggest beaver dam?
The world's largest beaver dam was recently discovered in northern Alberta, Canada. It is estimated to be about 850 metres long, 2800 feet and has existed for over a decade.
