Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

and El Paso County Region

Research Paper By Justin Gaenzle
Class RWS 1301

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

Abstract
This research report is to show the environmental impacts of dams within the United States and
also addressing issues they cause in El Paso, Texas as well. With the questions of; Why these
impacts are causing environmental issues? How did the dams effect local ecosystems? If the
removal of the dams would fix the issues? How would people deal with the issues of the free
water currents? What implements will the government and local government put in place so the
environment is protected? In answering these questions I will be using many types of sources.
These sources rage from government agencies, privet organizations, University works, and my
own knowledge on the subject at hand. Within this research report it will become clear to the
reader about the devastating effects dams cause. By identifying key-issue and sub-issues inside
this work. Providing valuable information on the dam issue, this will allow the reader to have
knowledge and a cultured overlook about this subject.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

The introduction of dams into river and water fronts has cause great environmental and
ecological damage. In many cases, dams have caused issues of holding back the sediments
that the ecosystem down river needed to flourish. Thus impacting a greater area not just the
area of were the dam is located. Within the last 100 year in the united states with the placement
of dam biodiversity has change around their locations. There are over 100,000 dams in the
United States just imagine the great ecological changes they have caused. With that in mind,
Dams have even caused great issues to the local environment of El Paso Texas. There are ruffly
13 Dams and diversions on Rio Grande River by the time it reaches El Paso. This has effected
the local environment here in El paso where we used to have grasslands, now replaced by
heavy desert sands. The areas were the Rio Grande flooded used to be heavily filled with trees
and high grass. Now people have houses with in these places which is not wise. These
environmental changes have only occurred in the past 100 years.
One dam located about 4 miles up in New Mexico from El Paso County was built in 1916 to
help with the water issue. People during this time where over using the Rio Grade by the time
the river reached the lower valley there was hardly any water to irrigate crops. By build this dam
just to fix a issue at the time not thinking about the full on effects that it will have later on. Fast
forward to now El Paso went from grass lands in the past to more of a desert terrain.
What could have been done to fix the issue of the Rio Grande in the early 1900s. The United
States and Mexico could have come together to place laws and regulations on usage of the
water way. This would still allow the Rio Grande to run free allowing it to deliver well needed
sediments further down river. They also could have came up with contingency plan in case of
times of drought. I used a image from https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/
visual.php?shortname=rio_grande. Also it is copyrighted by the (United States Fish and Wildlife
Service). This shows all the dams and diversions on the Rio Grande river.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United State

United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

Dams and their significance to environmental issues that are caused by them. Dams hold back
free following sediments normally found in the rivers follow. Dams are depriving areas
downstream of these well need sediments. In order to make up for the complete lose of
sediments. Downstream water begins to erode its channels and banks. This lowering of the
riverbed causes issues which threatens vegetation and river wildlife. With fisheries being
important source of food in the United States. Great attention needs paid to the harmful effects
of dams and its effects on fisheries plus there local biological ecosystem. Majority of large dams
are lacking the proper bypass systems for these animals. Which is causing interference with
their life cycles and just might inevitably forcing species to extinction. Dams cause the spreading
of disease due to slow-moving water. Which becomes a breeding grounds for mosquitoes and
flies, these vectors can carry malaria and schistosomiasis.The spread of these sicknesses can
cause damage to or even destroy local ecosystems.
Within this site http://www.research.vt.edu/resmag/2008summer/dams.html. The College used
several research strategies have been tested and monitored during the study of the
environmental condition of the Cheoah River. The research is done by the college students.
Within this research the facts were founded that dams have had a effect the environmental
condition of the Cheoah River in a negative way.
The deprivation of these sediments that the dams hold back have caused the deterioration of
the wetlands in the Golf Cost. Plants and animals depend on the on the free flow of these
nutrients. Without the free flow of these nutrients great issues arise from everything from the
ecological decline of the water behind the dams to the decline after the dams.
In found a very useful study at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2233706/. They
have been analyzing the impacts of dams on Riparian ecosystems. Reviewing the articles
research strategies and relevances the dam has on Snake River and Hells Canyon. The main
point of the article speaks on the effects that the dam has had on the ecosystem of Snake River
and Hells Canyon.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

Since there is a heavy lack of nutrients going down river has effected the fisheries through out
the United States. These effects have cause great economic issues on the people who depend
on the fish and aquatic life. Which have forced to have to change their way of life because of the
heavy decline in biodiversity of aquatic life!
I found this statement by Internationalriver.org about the effect dams have on fisheries.
Internationalriver.org argued ((The environmental consequences of large dams are numerous
and varied, and includes direct impacts to the biological, chemical and physical properties of
rivers and riparian (or "stream-side") environments.
The dam wall itself blocks fish migrations, which in some cases and with some species
completely separate spawning habitats from rearing habitats. The dam also traps sediments,
which are critical for maintaining physical processes and habitats downstream of the dam
(include the maintenance of productive deltas, barrier islands, fertile floodplains and coastal
wetlands).
The alteration of a river's flow and sediment transport downstream of a dam often causes the
greatest sustained environmental impacts. Life in and around a river evolves and is conditioned
on the timing and quantities of river flow. Disrupted and altered water flows can be as severe as
completely de-watering river reaches and the life they contain. Yet even subtle changes in the
quantity and timing of water flows impact aquatic and riparian life, which can unravel the
ecological web of a river system)).
Dams have cause animals and plant life to ether die off or evolve by adaptation. If a plant or
animal cannot adapt to change within its environment it will end up dying. When this happens it
truly effects the biodiversity of the local ecosystem. In so, having this type of effect leading to
extinction of local and regional ecosystems.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

Many dams and water runoffs due to slow moving water have become a breeding grounds for
mosquitoes and flies. Many types of vector are known to spread sicknesses that cause damage
to or even destroy local ecosystems. Some of the diseases these vectors can carry are malaria
and schistosomiasis.
According to the CDC. (2016) they stated (Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a
parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated,
they may develop severe complications and die. In 2013 an estimated 198 million cases of
malaria occurred worldwide and 500,000 people died, mostly children in the African Region.
About 1,500 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year).
The CDC. (2012) stated this about schistosomiasis. (The parasites that cause schistosomiasis
live in certain types of freshwater snails. The infectious form of the parasite, known as cercariae,
emerge from the snail, hence contaminating water. You can become infected when your skin
comes in contact with contaminated freshwater. Most human infections are caused by
Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, or S. japonicum. More than 200 million people are
infected worldwide. In terms of impact this disease is second only to malaria as the most
devastating parasitic disease).
With the understanding of free flowing water people living in river flood zones need to prepare
and understand what it entails. The government and local governments should have
contingency plans to quickly mediate damages caused by the flooding. Over all if people want to
build houses with a flood zone should have their house built properly.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

The only methodology to the on going dam issue. Dam removal is the only way to restore
ecological habitats and the balance they had. Removal of the dam not only opens miles of river
for migration of aquatic life. It also open miles of river that can be used as spawning grounds
and juvenile nursery habitats.The sediments and nutrients carried down from the upstream
Doing this will not atomically fix the issues but in time it will.

In all, dam s across the United States should be dismantled and the rivers should be allowed to
take their own course freely and uninterrupted. The problems caused by dams to the
environment are numerous. Soil erosion cause by dams holding back the sediment load
normally found in a river flow, depriving the downstream of this. In order to make up for the
sediments, the downstream water erodes its channels and banks. Extinction of species caused
by dams and there blocking of the natural follow of river life. Dams causing the spread of
disease due to slow moving water that causes the water to stagnate, plus water logging around
reservoirs restrains plant growth. Dams and there reservoirs can and will induce seismicity that
causes earthquakes. Areas down river that depended on the uninterrupted follow are being
heavily changed due to the lack of resources it once had.

Environmental Impacts of Dams in the United States

References / Works Reviewed

CDC (2012). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/

CDC (2016). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/
Borderlands Tags: Border, border history, borderlands, el paso, juarez, mexico, new mexico,
texas, u.s. mexico border . (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://epcc.libguides.com/
content.php?pid=309255
Dams and diversions along the Rio Grande. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2016, from https://
www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/visual.php?shortname=rio_grande
Ecological Effects of Small Dams. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.ansp.org/
research/environmental-research/projects/small-dams/
Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectric Power. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://
www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-impactshydroelectric-power.html#.VtzsQxj5iSM
Environmental and social implications of dam removal. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from
http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/152606/
From dam damage to improved fishing habitats. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://
www.research.vt.edu/resmag/2008summer/dams.html
Rivers and Lakes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/
habitats/riverslakes/rivers-and-energy.xml
The Downside of Dams: Is the Environmental Price of Hydroelectric Power Too High? (n.d.).
Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-dams-hurtrivers/