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.