The benefits of and the problems caused by the artificial

damming of rivers

The damming of rivers to form reservoirs was common practice in Roman times, and probably
much earlier. Over the intervening centuries the practice has evolved for three main purposes;
human consumption, irrigation, and industrial use. Since rainfall is never sufficiently uniform to
provide a reliable water source from normal river flow, the reservoir has always been a great
boon, spanning as it does lengthy periods of drought. There are, of course, other reasons for
damming a river. Following heavy storms in mountainous areas more water than a river can
carry will flow down to the plain, inundating large areas often destroying crops, homes and
animal and human life. Mountain passes, if dammed, give the opportunity not only to control the
flow of flood water at its peak but also to retain large quantities for controlled use in dry weather.
This control of water works from sea to river as well as from to sea. An example is the recently
constructed Thames barrier below Woolwich on the River Thames in England. This consists of
solid pillars across the river with massive steel plates between each pillar which can be raised or
lowered mechanically. The object is to protect the low-lying parts of London when a certain
combination of wind and tide raises the water level by as much as thirty feet.

A further use of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power, the power station, of course, being
built below the level of the dam. Water is channeled through conduits and used as mechanical
power for the turbines. It is then returned to the river. Reservoir water is also used today in vast
quantities in nuclear power stations for cooling and other purposes and is similarly returned to
the river or to the sea.

Some rivers in their natural state are not navigable by large vessels, or run dry in seasons of
drought. Where such rivers can be dammed they can be given a constant depth for purposes of
navigation, and this benefits a country's communication system.

More often than not a dam may be central in a multipurpose scheme including most of the
functions outlined above. This is particularly true in countries lying in temperate zones, where
water shortage can be a nuisance but is rarely a disaster.

Matters are different in underdeveloped countries which are hot, dry and barren. In these areas
populations are often nomadic, driving flocks and herds from waterhole to waterhole, or
scratching a mere subsistence from the soil. Drought means disease, hunger, dehydration and
death to animals and humans alike. The damming of major rivers such as the Nile is crucial to
life itself, and the control of their floodwater for irrigation purposes essential, but even this is not
preventing large tracts of North East Africa from reverting to desert.
Perhaps of least importance is the social value of a reservoir. Some stocked with trout, provide
good fishing, and most are used by sailing clubs, and for other aquatic sports. A reservoir is also
a great attraction to water-loving birds and often becomes an interesting staging-post for
migrations.

Damming a river can also cause problems. A great area of land, with its trees, flora and fauna,
farms and houses, has to be inundated. Neither the resident, who have to resettle elsewhere, nor
the environmentalists, appreciate this. The problem is more acute when the countryside about to
be spoilt is environmentally unique, as in a recent case in Australia, where attempts were made to
involve Prince Charles and Princess Diana in the dispute. Creating an artificial lake inevitably
changes the character of a large area. Farmland is destroyed, natural scenery, in the opinion of
some, despoiled. People have to move, inconveniently.

A second drawback may be political. Many rivers flow through more than one country, that lying
higher up the river having the whip-hand. A dam built for one country's benefit may be much to
the detriment of another. The USSR has been in dispute with Turkey over this matter as has
Egypt with the Sudan.

Dams are vulnerable to air attack in wartime. The destruction of the Mohne See dam in the
Second World War brought the industry of the Ruhr to a virtual standstill, as well as causing loss
of life. There have also been cases of the collapse of dams due to inadequate strength and
imperfect design.