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The Removal of the Edwards Dam: Renewed Debates

On July 1, 1999, the destruction of the Edwards Dam in Maine began, marking the first case of an order to remove a hydroelectric dam against the owner's wishes. Dams were constructed to provide mechanical power, and later electrical power, mainly for saw, grist, and textile mills. These mills were a substantial asset to the economy by providing jobs, but as the mills closed, the economic necessity...

https://scout.wisc.edu/report/se/1999/0707
The Tennessee Valley Authority

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) official Web site contains an abundance of information. Born out of the Great Depression in 1933, the TVA strives to "support sustainable economic development, supply affordable, reliable power, and manage a thriving river system." The site contains information about the history of the governmental agency, as well as current and future objectives. Of special...

https://www.tva.com
Hydroelectric Dams

Although hydroelectric power represents a relatively small portion of the world's energy resources, it is still an important commodity with great potential. To harness hydropower, civil engineers must design dams that convert the kinetic energy of water into electricity. The fundamentals of general-use dams are discussed on the home page of the US Society on Dams (1). Besides providing brief...

https://scout.wisc.edu/report/nsdl/met/2002/0329
United States Society on Dams

The United States Society on Dams (USSD) is a professional organization that promotes the advancement of dam engineering and technology, and fosters public awareness of the importance of dams. The best feature on the society's home page is its excellent introduction to dams and their benefits. First, a short definition of a dam is given, and then some reasons for their construction are outlined...

https://www.ussdams.org/
Dams

National Geographic's Dams Web site offers an interactive investigation into the good and bad impacts of dam construction. Visitors choose to view a river system before, during, or after a dam is built. Then at each time interval they can click on various sections of the river and read a short description of what is happening there. For example, after the dam is built, the reservoir that is...

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/dams/
As dams are removed on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, many are hopeful for the future

Special Reports: Elwha River Valley http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/specialreports/elwha/ Elwha ceremony recalls how treaty fight changed Northwest http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/09/19/rockybarker/franks_impromptu_comments_elwha_recognize_treaty_fights Wild-fish groups to sue over Elwha River...

https://scout.wisc.edu/report/2011/0923#IntheNews
American Experience: Grand Coulee Dam

Among many great national achievements during the Great Depression, the Grand Coulee Dam remains one of the most impressive. This fine website from the American Experience program complements a documentary that was first aired on PBS in 2012. The construction of this dam would, in the worlds of President Franklin Roosevelt, be part of a "planned promised land" that would transform the lives of...

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/coulee/
Bureau of Reclamation Historic Dams and Water Projects: Managing Water in the West

Those who have traveled through the western United States can attest to the scale of the massive earth-moving projects that dominate aspects of the landscape. Massive dams and expansive irrigation systems are part of the work of the Bureau of Reclamation, the nation's largest supplier of water and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. This remarkable tour of some of these sites is part...

https://www.nps.gov/articles/3-mission-of-the-bureau-of-recl...
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