Megadams in the 21St Century

NAS Report 5/7/04 page -#-

MEGADAMS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

A REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Chapter 1: Why is this study necessary?

Megadams have been a part of western culture during the 20th century. Dams such as the Asswan High Dams, Grand Coulee, Hoover Dam, and Glen Canyon Dam were built to provide electrical power to vast areas, to distribute water to thirsty areas, and provide downstream flood control, and to provide recreational opportunities.

However, in the latter part of the 20th century, there has been increasing awareness of problems associated with megadams. River and riparian ecology is seriously disrupted, as is sediment transport. Increasingly large numbers of people are displaced, and artifacts of ancient cultures are drowned.

A major new dam at Three Gorges in China is near completion, and the reservoir is filling. Proposed new dams on the Mekong River in China could affect Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Mekong River Commission which includes these four countries, but not China, has historically addressed issues within these countries. Thirteen dams have recently been approved on the Nu River in China. These dams will dramatically impact the four countries downstream.

Since new megadams are still being proposed both in the U.S. and worldwide , the NAS (our new National Academy of Sustainability, Geo 397) has recommended that internal funds be used to study this issue and make recommendations about whether or not new dams should be commissioned, and whether or not existing megadams should be altered or removed.

The members of this commission were chosen to represent a wide diversity of opinions and expertise. Their affiliations are listed in the bio-personality section.

Chapter 2: History of Megadams, with Emphasis on Glen Canyon Dam and Three Gorges Dam

History of Bureau of Reclamation

Established in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation is best known for the dams, powerplants, and canals it constructed in the 17 western states. These water projects led to homesteading and promoted the economic development of the West. Reclamation has constructed more than 600 dams and reservoirs including Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and Grand Coulee on the Columbia River.

Today, the Bureau of Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the country. They bring water to more than 31 million people, and provide one out of five Western farmers (140,000) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland that produce 60% of the nation's vegetables and 25% of its fruits and nuts.

Reclamation is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the western United States. The 58 powerplants, owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, annually provide more than 40 billion kilowatt hours generating nearly a billion dollars in power revenues and produce enough electricity to serve 6 million homes.

Today, Reclamation is a contemporary water management agency with a Strategic Plan outlining numerous programs, initiatives and activities that will help the Western States, Native American Tribes and others meet new water needs and balance the multitude of competing uses of water in the West. The Bureau’s mission is to assist in meeting the increasing water demands of the West while protecting the environment and the public's investment in these structures. Great emphasis is placed on fulfilling the water delivery obligations, water conservation, water recycling and reuse, and developing partnerships with their customers, states, and Indian Tribes, and in finding ways to bring together the variety of interests to address the competing needs for the limited water resources.

Data obtained from

http://www.usbr.gov/main/about/who.html

History of the National Park Service

" Parks for Science: The long-term preservation of park natural resources

makes parks reservoirs of information of great value to humanity. Thus, in

addition to the use of science as a means to improve park management, parks

can and should be centers for broad scientific research and inquiry. Research

should be facilitated in parks where it can be done without impairing other

park values. Grants, logistical support, cooperative studies, and other means

of facilitating this wider role should be instituted within, or near, a

network of parks broadly representative of regional systems. These programs

should be developed and operated in collaboration with universities and other

science organizations."

Although most people just thinkg of „national parks‰ when the National Park

Service is mentioned, but there is actually more involved! The NPS works with

communities to preserve and care for neighborhood treasures. The NPS works

with teachers to prepare lessons that are improtant to students in the

classroom.

(www.nps.gov)

(a) History of electrical power needs (Alex, Mike)

Glen Canyon Dam was one of the tasks authorized by Congress as the, Colorado River Storage Project. Glen Canyon Dam was built from 1957 to 1964 and was originally planned to produce 1,000,000 kilowatts. Over the next few decades two additional generators were added to the dam, allowing the dam to produce 1,356,000 kilowatts. In 1991 Interim Operating Criteria were adopted to protect downstream resources, which limited the dam releases to 20,000 cfs and the power output to 767,000 kilowatts. The dam currently runs on a $21 billion dollar annual budget and generates power for 1.5 million users in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Authorized by Congress as Colorado River Storage Project. 1957-1964. 1,000, 000 kw.

1981 operating criteria<20,000 cfs

767 -1.,356 million kw. At low value now because of interim operating criteria

$21,000,000 annual operating budget

Power used in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, NM, AZ

1,500,500 users

(b) History of water needs (Matt, Brent, Ashley)

, Mexico

Matt Borkowski

In addition to power generation, the Glen Canyon Dam supplies water to several states in the Lower Colorado River Basin. These states, including California, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico receive 8.23 million acre feet of water each year from the Glen Canyon Dam.

Overall, about 85% of the water goes to irrigation. With the input of irrigation, the arid regions of these states have become fertile agricultural lands. Many customers in the United States are provided with fruits and vegetables year round. Conversely, these states owe their economic viability largely to these agricultural operations.

California’s farmers produced more than $27.5 billion in farm value in 2002. California has lead the nation in agricultural production for more than 50 years. California agriculture is a diverse blend of valleys, foothills, coastal areas and deserts where a bounty of high-quality agricultural products are grown.

Farmers use the most advanced irrigation technology to maximize water efficiency. They have invested billions in water-conserving irrigation products such as microsprinklers, drip irrigation and wheel-move systems. Many farmers reuse irrigation water by employing irrigation return systems to capture water after it has run through fields and pump it to the head of the field to use it again.

Water is an essential for food production and farmers make the most of precious water supplies. The state Department of Water Resources says managed wetlands, wild-and-scenic rivers and other environmental uses account for 46 percent of California's applied water use. Agriculture accounts for 43 percent and urban uses for 11 percent.

Lake Powell stretches from the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona up the Colorado River through Utah, past the San Juan confluence to Hite for a total of 186 miles. Including the numerous flooded canyons, Lake Powell has more than 2,000 miles of shoreline, more than the entire west coast of the United States.

According to the National Park Service at Glen Canyon National Recreation area, storage of water at Lake Powell began March 13, 1963 and reached full pool (3,700 feet) the first time on June 22, 1980. Lake Powell's volume is 27,000,000 acre feet with a surface area of 266 square miles. The lake is approximately 186 miles in length and there is approximately 1,960 miles of shoreline with 96 major side canyons. Average annual evaporation is 2.5% of the volume. The water depth at the dam is 560 feet.

The annual legal minimum outflow at Glen Canyon Dam is 8,230,000 acre feet with the daily at 5,000 to 20,000 cubic feet per second (cannot exceed 8,000 cfs variation in a 24 hour period). The maximum flow at flood time is 322,000 cubic feet per second (31,000 cfs through turbines, 15,000 cfs through jet tubes and 276,000 cfs through spillways). The average siltation is 37,000 acre feet per year.

The following figures are from http://www.gcmrc.gov/Bio/water/

(Add history of allocations to the 7 western states)

8.3 million acre feet annually

85% to irrigation in US

Matt Borkowski

(History of environmental protests—Kailesh)

***On March 14th 2000, The International Day of Action against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life took place across the world. In several countries, such as the US, Japan, Australia, and France, protests were held for the removal of dams.

Glen Canyon is one of the finest examples of a high-arch concrete dam in the world that was built over considerable public protest due to a number of concerns. These included changes in the Colorado River’s natural flows, its seasonal variations in water temperature, sediment and nutrient deposition and fish migration into and out of Grand Canyon. The construction of the dam in 1963 was to have huge implications on the surrounding environment.

Even long after the completion of the dam, activists continued to gather to protest over its mismanagement and neglect to the environment. In June 2002, activists from more than 80 environmental groups held a protest over the Glen Canyon Dam, which conservationists say has wrecked the ecosystem of the lower Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Most of the groups involved supported a Sierra Club proposal to drain Lake Powell and decommission the dam.***KAP

Once carried 270,00 tons of sediment annually (check), now under 14,000 tons annually.)

Temperatures used to flucuate seasonally between 35-65 F; now is 46 F (check)

List of endangered species (Picture of hump-back chub)

Artificial flood

SIERRA CLUB AND DAMS

1.It was created with the mandate to protect the environment

that could be endangered by mega projects like dams, rivers,

etc.

2.It has opposed the building of the Glen Canyon Dam, and

other dams in Colorado.

3.It is trying to restore free flowing in the Colorado River.

(d) Religious and ethnic concerns (Kelly and Joe—This should only be facts; the arguments go into Chapter 4, so I’ve edited it here. You need to put the arguments back into Chapter 4.)

The Havisupai Tribe call the Grand Canyon area home and it is their belief that the human race came out of the Canyon, so everything is considered sacred. When Glen Canyon Dam was built hundreds of square miles (?) of their native and scared land was buried by Lake Powell. CAN YOU ADD MORE OF THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN VIOLATED HERE?

(e) Mexico

e) Mexico

Mexico’s involvement with the Colorado River

Mexico’s right to Colorado River water was signed into

a treaty between the United States and Mexico on February 3,

1944. This treaty guaranteed Mexico 1,500,000 acre-feet of

Colorado River Water Annually. The entitlement was subject

to increase or decrease under certain circumstances provide

for in the treaty. This 1944 treaty did not specify the

quality of water to be delivered. Water quality didn’t