Factoid/2019/03/19

Comparison study shows upriver hydroelectric dams cause severe damage to valuable coastlines

"Over 1 million tons of sediment are trapped in the dams along the Fuerte and Santiago rivers each year, resulting in striking coastal recession at the rivers’ mouths. This sediment would normally make its way to the river mouths, where it would accumulate along the coast and allow ecosystems like mangroves to grow. Since damming, the Santiago and Fuerte rivers showed an annual loss of coastal lands of up to 21 hectares — about 40 American football fields. In contrast, the coasts around the estuaries of the San Pedro and Acaponeta rivers did not recede, but rather were stable or even showed sediment growth over the same time periods." - Excerpt from UC Riverside.

Factoid has been Emailed/Tweeted: No

---

Coastal Factoids Archive

Coastal Factoids on Twitter

Coastal Factoids RSS Feed