Author: manuelave

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California Dam Lets Water Shared by Farms Flow to Salmon

The Associated Press. (August 22, 2015). California Dam Lets Water Shared by Farms Flow to

Salmon. The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015 from

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/us/california-dam-lets-water-shared-by-farms-flow-

to-salmon.html?ribbon-ad-idx=3&rref=us&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=H

eader&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&pgtype=article&_r=0

 

Water is scarce in the Klamath Basin, and so governments are releasing more water into the Klamath river in order to prevent the deaths of many fish. The severe drought in California is threatening another large-scale death of salmon, just like the one that occurred in 2002. The drought, however, also makes some hesitant to release water from our reserves from dams into rivers etc. to prevent salmon death, rather than continue to conserve the water. But, the salmon are important to many people and tribes that rely on fishing, and in order to prevent catastrophes such as widespread parasitic disease in their waters, the release of more water into the river for the salmon is crucial.


The struggle between conserving water for the drought and preserving the lives of the salmon in the Klamath river highlight some of the issues that environmental science deals with. Environmental science helps us to understand our effects on the environment and its inhabitants, and in situations like these we must weigh the importance of the changes we wish to make against what is important to our own species. Preventing a spread of disease within the river to the salmon is important, however how important is it compared to continuing to save water in our ever worsening drought? Our dams allow us to save water and can allow us to help the fish and the communities that rely on them, and thus they give us the power to choose what action we will take.

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New model predicts fish population response to dams, other ecological factors

NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center. (2015, May 21). New model predicts fish population

response to dams, other ecological factors. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 23, 2015

from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150521144058.htm

 

On the Atlantic coast of the United States, studies were done to determine the impacts of dams on salmon and other diadromous fish and their migration patterns. Studies found that fish abundance increased upstream if dams that were downstream were removed. Studies also showed that abundance increased more when marine survival rates increased rather than when freshwater survival rates increased. Adding small channels and fish ladders to improve salmon passages upstream do increase the likelihood of a successful migration, however the most effective solution that has been found so far is the complete removal of river-blocking dams.


The studies done on the east coast directly relate to environmental science and how the alteration of habitats affect the organisms that live in them. Studies show over and over again that dams are detrimental to the migrations of fish that swim up rivers. If scientists and/or others want to increase the abundance of fish in freshwater areas, the evident answer is to either eliminate dams or to make either sides of the dams much more easily accessible to the fish. Fish that live in both fresh and saltwater face issues of breeding, and the numbers of many species seem to be declining due to the prominent obstacles of dams. More steps should be taken to amend the drastic changes made to these species’ cycles and environments.

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Dams Put Dinosaur-Like River Fish at Risk

The Associated Press. (2015, February 2). Advocates: Dams Put Dinosaur-Like River Fish at

Risk.The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015 from

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/02/us/ap-us-endangered-fish.html

 

The pallid sturgeon that live in the stretches of rivers in Montana and North Dakota are in trouble. Due to dams in the rivers in those areas, the pallid sturgeon are having more difficulty in migrating upstream to breed. Wildlife advocates are pushing for the government to protect the last of the pallid sturgeon. Although actions have been taken to add small channels for the sturgeon to pass through, they do not guarantee successful passage.

 

The plight of the pallid sturgeon relates to environmental science because the obstacle of the dams is pushing this species towards extinction. It is evident that the actions that are being taken to aid the sturgeon, like the addition of small channels to existing dams, are not effective enough. Essentially the government is going to have to make the decision between saving the pallid sturgeon and making huge changes to their dams. The dams would, ideally, be destroyed in order to benefit the sturgeon the most, however actions to improve the dams in more sincere ways than the addition of small channels would also be beneficial.

 

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Toxic algal blooms behind Klamath River dams create health risks far downstream

Oregon State University. (2015, June 16). Toxic algal blooms behind Klamath River dams create

health risks far downstream.ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 23, 2015 from

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150616123919.htm 

The Klamath river flows from Oregon to California, and is over 180 miles long. In several reservoirs along the river, toxic algal blooms have formed, threatening wildlife. This harmful algal growth can cause a range of health issues, and is not as easily removed as other forms of bacteria; for instance, it cannot be destroyed by boiling water contaminated by it. Microcystis, the algal growth, is often found spread throughout bodies of water in small patches, and thus is hard to completely neutralize. Dams, preventing more thorough water flow, are compounding the issue.

 

The growing abundance of algal growths throughout this river is in part due to the high concentration of dams on the river. The slowing of water flow contributes to the formation of these growths, and thus the dams are directly influencing this issue. The microcystis is toxic and poses many potential health issues to those who ingest it, and considering how unpredictably placed it can be in these specific bodies of water, it is important that we do all we can to minimize contact/creation of the algae. Not only could it affect us, but it can and does affect wildlife that relies on the river water to survive. A way to either increase water flow to lessen the algae, or a way to eliminate the algal growths altogether is necessary if people want the dams along the river to remain.

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When Dams Come Down, Salmon and Sand Can Prosper

Dean, C. (2015, August 10). When Dams Come Down, Salmon and Sand Can Prosper.The New

York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015 from

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/science/elwha-river-dam-removal-project-washingt

on.html

 

In Washington state, the removal of a dam on the Elwha river has demonstrated that the beach can benefit from dam removals. Millions of cubic yards of sediment that had been trapped behind the dam are now flowing through the river to the coast and the mouth of the river, extending beaches and rebuilding estuaries. Dams have been contributing to coastal erosion because of the immense amount of sediment they withhold from traveling down rivers. Many environmentalists advocate for supplements of sand to beaches whose sand abundance is low due to dams. More plans to remove dams and restore the flow of sediment to the coast have been made, however when these plans will be put into action is undecided due to a need for dams because of low water-levels and drought.

 

This article relates to environmental science because it describes the ways in which dams alter certain environments. The effects that smaller beaches and estuaries had on the local wildlife is also relevant to environmental science. Now that these natural locations are beginning to return to their usual states, the landscape can more readily support wildlife. The removal of dams in this situation seems to be so plainly beneficial that one can wonder why dam removal is not more commonplace in areas that have the ability to part with dams. Here in California, it is understandable that dam deconstruction isn’t underway because of our need for water storage, however in places with water abundance it seems as though it’s time to rebuild the damage that dams have had on coastal habitats.