What's the dam problem?

There's been quite a buzz lately about the benefits of retrofitting dams so that they can produce hydroelectric power -a renewable resource. Conversely, some have considered the vulnerabilities dams have created by a systemic failure to maintain the aging infrastructure leaving communities downstream susceptable to flash flooding should the structure fail suddenly. Still other unanticipated problems are suspected in the construction of mega dams that reach deep into the earth for support.

Meanwhile, dams (the structures themselves, the buildings near them and the recreation areas created around them) are often beautiful and timeless settings for homes, businesses and parks around the country. Is there a GreenZoneSolution for getting dams to produce electricity without creating the potential of community-wide problems while still providing a pleasing environment to be in? - yes, we want it all!

According to a story last week in Green, Inc, only 3% of the nation's 80,000 dams are equipped to generate power. There is a movement afloat to begin retrofitting some of those to provide a source of renewable electricity. The story profiles one project in Ohio that, when completed, will produce 350 megawatts, enough to power 350,000 homes. While, on the surface, this seems to be an excellent solution to a major problem facing the U.S., one of the more difficult challenges, particularly in the Southwest, is going to be finding the water to spin all those turbines. According the joint report produced in 2007, "the single most important constraint for additional hydropower development is available water." This issue is closely related, of course, but outside the scope of this post and will be looked at separately.

But, how many of the dams in the United States have been properly maintained over the years since they were built? An accident at a major dam in Russia just last week that claimed the lives of 64 workers inside the facility, highlighted the potential damage that could develop, (in terms of devestation downstream and loss of electricity) a community may have to deal with when a structure is compromised, even partially. Although one terrorist group did claim to cause the incident, the problem with the dam is being attributed to failure of an aging infrastructure.

The Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky was completed in 1950. Like many other dams, it was built with multiple purposes in mind: generation of electricity, storage of potable water, flood control and creation of a recreation area. All of those functions have been done very well over the years. However, in 1968 seepage problems at the foundation of the dam were noted and continued to develop until in 2007, despite multiple efforts to make permanent repairs, the Army Corps of Engineers placed the dam under a 'high risk' for failure designation, along with Center Hill Dam in Tennessee, both of which are two major dams upstream from Nashville, Tennessee. Popular Mechanics Magazine named the Wolf Creek Dam one of its Top 5 Disasters Waiting to Happen.

But just because a dam is newly built doesn't mean it is necessarily safe. According to a story at the Discovery Channel, construction of a recently completed mega-dam may have actually triggered China's devastating earthquake last year, some government officials and scientists are claiming, pitting them against others who insist it was a natural disaster. Pressure on a fault line caused by water amassed in Zipingpu dam's reservoir in the southwestern province of Sichuan may have caused the disaster that killed and left missing 87,000 people, some Chinese researchers say.

So where is the GreenZoneSolution? Build new infrastructure but create natural hazards? Fail to maintain existing systems and create technological catastrophes? According to a story in the Boston Globe, Harvard entrepreneur, John Grady, may have found the balance. He bought and has restored a dam and associated building along the Nashua River in Ayer, Massachusetts that he has retrofitted with modern turbines. His business, Ice House Partners, now benefits directly from the electricity that is produced on site. Lots of work and money have gone into this project and there have been many administrative hurdles to negotiate throughout the process. Although not perfect, (the area where the structure is built is considered a High Risk for Flood by the NFIP) the Ice House represents a nice blend of old and new solutions to a problem that is only getting more complex with an approach that is both creative and has a sense of good design. A sort of Back to the Future that is Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable.
See more photos Ice House Hydroelectric Plant