Dams and HEP

dam building and HEP

E.g. Ardnacrushna

Government built a dam across the river Shannon at Ardnachruhna

The water 💦 spins the blade in the turbines and produces electricity

A large reservoir
of water behind the dam was created

advantages

renewable energy

building a dam and HEP stations can generate cheep clean and renewable energy

water supply

water that builds up behind the dam can be used as a water supply for urban ares = water that builds up a dam is called a reservoir

control flooding

dams can be used to manage the risk of flooding in the lower stage or old age stage of the river Shannon

disadvantages

loss of farmland

the creation of large reservoir behind the dam may result in the loss of good agricultural land

families have to relocate

families that live in the dam and reservoir area will have to relocate

new roads+ bridges will have to be built= expensive

because of reservoir and very expensive

negative interaction with rivers

choke points

narrow choke points where water leaves on the Shannon. the huge floodplains are barely above normal water levels in place. during building boom, construction took place on some of the floodplains

effects of flooding on the river Shannon

urban areas

effected by flooding, homes are abandoned after being flooded, shops were flooding and stock destroyed, road were flooded and can pass through for weeks

rural areas

effected by floods, large areas of flood planes were flooded. animals had to move to higher ground and stocks of winter feed were destroyed.