Dams

● Dams are built to provide water for human consumption, for irrigating arid and semiarid lands,
or for use in industrial processes.
● Used to increase the amount of water available for generating hydroelectric power

Positive and Negative Consequences of Dam Projects

POSITIVE
1. Reduces consumption of fossil fuels for electricity production
2. Reduces production of pollution, such as particular matter
3. Can prevent uncontrolled flooding
4. Provides water for irrigation
5. Creates areas for certain types of recreation, such as boating and fishing
6. Is a renewable energy source
NEGATIVE
1. Dirt cab build up at dams, decreasing their effectiveness
2. Large scale wildlife habitat destruction due to river valley flooding
3. Interferes with natural wildlife migration patterns, such as salmon
4. Dam construction forces people to leave their homes if they live in or near the flooded river
valley
5. Very expensive to build
6. Interferes with natural flow of water through environment
7. Requires maintenance
8. Can fail catastrophically!
HOW DAMS HARVEST ELECTRIC POWER?

The dam stores lots of water behind it in the reservoir. Near the bottom of the dam wall there is the
water intake. Gravity causes it to fall through the penstock inside the dam. At the end of the penstock
there is a turbine propellor, which is turned by the moving water. The shaft from the turbine goes up
into the generator, which produces the power. Power lines are connected to the generator that carry
electricity to your home and mine. The water continues past the propellor through the tailrace into the
river past the dam.
"A hydraulic turbine converts the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy. A hydroelectric
generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. The operation of a generator is based on
the principles discovered by Faraday.
CASE OF HISTORIES OF DAM FAILURES
The Machchhu dam failure or Morbi disaster was a dam-related flood disaster which occurred on 11
August 1979, in India. The Machchu-2 dam, situated on the Machhu river, burst, sending a wall of
water through the town of Morbi (now in the Morbi district) of Gujarat, India. Estimates of the number
of people killed vary greatly ranging from 1800 to 25000 people.

The failure was caused by excessive rain and massive flooding leading to the disintegration of the
earthen walls of the four kilometer long Machchhu II dam. The actual observed flow following the
intense rainfall reached 16307 m³/s, thrice what the dam was designed for, resulting in its collapse.
Within 20 minutes the floods of 12 to 30 ft (3.7 to 9.1 m) height inundated the low-lying areas of Morbi
industrial town located 5 km below the dam.
The Morbi dam failure was listed as the worst dam burst in the Guinness Book of Records.
Sipalay, PHILIPPINES
Dam failure, due to slippage of foundation. It caused widespread inundation of agricultural land up to
1.5 m high in Nov. 8, 1982