Kielder Dam Flashcards
What are the advantages of building the Kielder Dam? (in Northumberland, completed in 1981)
1, Boosts tourism, reservoirs are attractive. Kielder Dam attracts 300,000 tourists each year which boosts the local economy by £6 million.
2, Forestry- areas around reservoirs may be planted with forests. Over 150 million trees were placed at Kielder, providing a valuable source of employment
3, Highly effective against floods- the release of water is highly controlled so there is virtually no risk of flooding
4, Provides hydroelectric power- turbines may be placed in a dam. Kielder Dam generates 6 MW of electricity, enough to serve a town of 10,000 people
5, Source of drinking water- the Kielder Dam created a ten kilometre long reservoir, holding almost 200,000 million litres of water, to supply drinking water to industrial North East England
6, Promotes new habitats- these develop in and around a reservoir. At Kielder there are conservation areas. The area has rare red squirrels.
What were the social costs of Kielder Water?
- the flooding of a valley displaces people, usually farmers from their homes
- At Kielder, 58 families were displaced
- This causes distress and breaks up communities
What were the economic costs of Kielder Water?
- dams are expensive. The Kielder Dam costed £167 million and may have been a waste of money. Loss of industry in NE England meant the demand for water and HEP was less than expected
- soils downstream can become less fertile through lack of sediment from floods, which reduces crop yields.
What were the environmental costs of the Kielder Dam?
- a concrete dam interferes with the path of migrating fish. Sediment is trapped behind the dam and this interferes with fish spawning grounds.
- Algae often collects behind a dam which deoxygenates the water
- If there should be a sudden release of water through the sluice gates, this can cause river bank erosion downstream
- The building of a dam may trigger an earthquake
- Landslides often occur on the sides of a reservoir; this increases sediment and creates shock waves which damage buildings
- Reservoirs often flood areas of outstanding natural beauty. At Kielder, 1.5 million trees were lost along with 2700 acres of farmland. This had a negative effect on habitats. New plantings are confined to Sitka Spruce.