Benefits of dams

Benefits Of Dams

Azdeen NajahMSc Candidate26/05/2011

Generally using of damsHistory of the world civilizations reveals that

dams and reservoirs were successfully used for collecting, storing, saving and managing water that is essential for sustenance of any civilization.

Benefits of damsPrimary benefits of dams :

Apart from this there are many other benefits of dams for the humans.

1.Water SupplyLarge quantities of appropriate quality water

is required both for domestic and industrial purposes. Large urban areas depend greatly on water stored in dams and reservoirs for various purposes. Water is stored during high rainfall and is used at the time of low rainfall. This is especially important in dry areas of the world.

1.Water SupplyCressbrook DamToowoomba Pipeline Project, AustraliaPipeline Length :38km

Cressbrook Dam

2.Meet the rural agricultural demands.Large quantities of water are required all over the

world for meeting the needs of agricultural irrigation. Irrigated lands all over the world contribute a major part of food production, thus making irrigation the need of today's farmers. Dams and reservoirs are required in sufficient numbers to supply sufficient quantities of water, especially to arid and semi arid regions of the world.

2.Meet the rural agricultural demands.Malampuzha dam, is the largest reservoir in

Kerela, India Irrigation two canals network serving the dam's

reservoir of 42,090 hectares

3.Dams help in flood controlExcessive precipitation in an area results in

floods, which causes huge loss to life and specially in the low lying areas of a river where the flood water flows. Dams and reservoirs are effective and can be used to maintain water levels in a river. The flooding downstream of water can be temporarily stored in a dam and released later when it is required.

3.Dams help in flood controlBlackwater Dam was completed in 1941 at a

cost of $1.32 million and has already prevented $15.3 million in damages. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 15 billion gallons of water. To date, record high water occurred during the flood of April 1987.The reservoir was filled to 93% capacity with a water level of 564.1 mean sea level (msl). The normal level is 518 msl

4.Production of hydropowerEnergy is the most important determinant

of the socio-economic development of any country. It is beneficial to use a kind of energy which is clean, dependable, efficient, and renewable. Hydroelectricity fulfills the above mentioned requirement and dams are an effective means of producing this kind of energy.

4.Production of hydropowerThe Three Gorges Dam is the world’s

largest capacity hydroelectric power station with a total generating capacity of 18,200 MW

Local inland navigations is an excellent sport, but natural river conditions, like currents, changing river levels, and snowfall, create major obstacles and problems for local inland navigation. Dams can effectively be used for controlling the levels of water in a river where inland navigation is carried.

5.Local navigations.

Ortona Lock and Dam, located on the Okeechobee Waterway which extends to the Gulf of Mexico using the Caloosahatchee River and to the Atlantic Ocean

Waterway distances: 15.5 miles east to Moore Haven Lock and 27.9 miles west to W.P. Franklin Lock.

5.Local navigations.

6.Recreational purposes.Dams play an important place for

recreational purposes, especially in areas where there is a lack of surface water.

6.Recreational purposes.Hoover Dam located on the border between the

US states of Arizona and Nevada, the dam is a major tourist attraction; nearly a million people tour the visiting the dam each year

Other Benefits.Apart from all the above advantages

dams provide an excellent habitat for aquatic animals. There are so many benefits of constructing dams that even if millions of dollars are spend to build them; the value obtained is worth the spending made.

Mindoka National Wildlife Refuge.

Demirköprü Dam, Fish farming

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