The Impact of Hydroelectric Power Generation and Damming in the Waikato River System - Coursework Example

Waikato River Table of Contents I. 3 II. Introduction 3 III. Methodology of Research Plan 4 IV. Results 4 A. Primary Research- Summary of the Interview 4 B. Secondary Research 6 V. Discussion of the Results 10 Vi. Conclusions and Recommendations 11 VII. References 12 VIII. Glossary 14 I. Abstract The paper presents the results of primary and secondary research on the question of the impact of hydroelectric power generation and damming in the Waikato River system. The focus of the study is on the environment, and the economy and the different individual and group stakeholders in the river system. The results of the primary and secondary research are analyzed and compared, and the research shares insights gleaned from a careful scrutiny of the research evidence. II. Introduction Power generation has come to be a major provider of jobs and a long-term boost to the local economy of the Waikato region as well as to the New Zealand economy in general, Latest figures peg total contribution to the energy capacity of the country coming from Waikato at 40 percent, and total potential ability to supply current needs at 50 percent of total country electricity needs, making the Waikato hydroelectic power plants an indispensable cog in New Zealands economic machinery. The flipside of this is the impact of damming and the hydro plants on the non-economic aspects of the thing. What are its ecological and human impacts? How do they stack up long term against the economic benefits that accrue from damming and hydroelectic power generation in the river system? (Waikato CDEM Group Plan, 2011, pp. 1-8) III. Methodology of Research Plan The study relies on interviews as a means of gathering primary research data, and resorts to secondary research of academic, scholarly and trade literature for secondary research data inputs. IV. Results A. Primary Research- Summary of the Interview Ron Taylor, who has worked in the hydro power generation for the past three decades, was the expert chosen to be a primary research resource for this interview. The interview basically revolved around how hydro generation has impacted the Waikato River, and what the condition of the river was prior to damming. The first question of the interview was about the characteristics of the Wakato River with regard to its catchment and hydrology. Taylor notes that the flow of water in the Waikato River has a direct bearing on the amount of power generated via hydro generation. As far as water flow is concerned, the topic of import is catchment, which Taylor notes, for the Waikato River, spans a very wide area. The flow starts from the so-called Trongiriro region. It is from the slopes of this mountain region that the water flow to the Waikato River first commences. This initial flow goes by the name of the Waikato stream. From there Taylor traces the flow of water all the way to the North Island. That whole flow makes up a catchment area, which team up with other catchment areas such as those in the Waopa area, and those in sum make up the large catchment area contributing to the considerable water flow at the Waikato. The key characteristic is that the catchment areas are bounded by the mountain ranges in the area. Moreover, in terms of hydrology, Taylor notes that the hydrology of the region has undergone some considerable alterations, brought about by the implementation of so-called hydro schemes, some in support of hydro power generation efforts (Taylor, 2012). The second question validates the question with regard to the contribution of the nine hydroelectric power plants to the overall electricity generation mix in New Zealand, Taylor estimates that the contribution to be around a fifth of total electricity needs/consumption in New Zealand, or about 20 percent (Taylor, 2012). In terms of impact on the environment of the hydroelectric power plants, and relative to the rivers nearby inhabitants, Taylor notes that the generation schemes has resulted in the abnormal altering of the river flows and of the water levels in the Waikato, which includes the abnornal lowering of the levels of water in the river, as a result of the power generation facilities and the damming there. This alteration of the river flows and the water levels, according to Taylor, impacts flora and fauna ecosystems, and do not just impact fish species, which of course they do. Sedimentation and siltation brought about by the changed dynamics of the river likewise is expected to contribute to problems relating to water clarity (Taylor, 2012). These things aside, Taylor notes that the hydroelectric plants have been an economic boon to the area and to the economy of New Zealand in general. Economic development, in turn, has bred jobs and injected vigor to the local economy, according to Taylor. For the dairy industry, meanwhile, effects of the hydro plants and of damming are in the areas of providing irrigation as well as stock water for the dairy farms, which Taylor notes, are necessary for an industry like dairy, which relies on land. On the other hand, damming may mean that waste in the form of cowshed effluent and fertilizers that seep through to the river may have a longer time to be transported out of the river due to the damming, which reduces water flow and water levels in the Waikato River (Taylor, 2012). The biggest positive impact of hydroelectric power generation in the Waikato River, according to Taylor, is the economic benefits that accrue to New Zealand and to the local economy as a result of such generation, translating to revenues and jobs. On the other hand, the biggest drawbacks from hydro power generation in the area are in the areas of reducing the transport and related utilitarian functions of the River, with Taylor noting that in earlier times the Waikato River had been an important trade transport route. Moreover,, the alteration in water flows has reduced the viability of the river as a recreational spot, as a source of food, and as a means of convenient travel (Taylor, 2012). B. Secondary Research The secondary research basically looks at the academic and scholarly literature to examine the same questions and issues that have been touched on in the primary research, namely the impact of damming and the proliferation of large-scale hydroelectric power generation in the region. The impacts are examined from social and economic vantage points, as well as ecological and environmental vantage points. The Taylor interview is illuminating n that that paves the way for investigating how the academic and scholarly literature views the same issues and questions that Taylor tried to address. By way of visualization, the literature details the extent of the geographic expanse that is covered by the Waikato River system. The graphic below helps illustrate and visualize this system (Landcare Research, 2012): Image source: Landcare Research, 2012 A recent risk profile of the Waikato region, for the timeline between 2011 and 2015, offers a rich glimpse into the demographic, geographical and socio-economic profile of the Waikato region, and is an important backdrop in the current study of the impact of hydroelectric power generation and damming in the Waikato River. The risk profile report notes that the region is home to about a tenth of the population of New Zealand, at about 382,000 as of 2006, and expected to have grown by the time of the writing of this paper. Median age is the same as the country average, at 35.6 years. This risk profile report confirms power generation as a major economic activity in the region. Contrary to Taylors estimate, the region accounts for about 40 percent of total capacity of the country in terms of power generation. Moreover, potential ability to supply is pegged at about 50 percent of total electricity requirements for the country (Waikato CDEM Group Plan, 2011, pp. 1-8) It is interesting to note that the literature describes adverse human impacts on the environment and habitat surrounding the Waikato River and complementary systems as early as the 1800s, and extending at least to 1996, when at that point there were in operation a total of eight hydroelectric power generation facilities (Chapman, 1996, pp. 85-89): The Waikato River drains 13% of the North Island. It rises in the Central Volcanic Plateau; the headwaters, including the Tongariro R., drain into oligotrophic Lake Taupo, important for fishing and holidaying. The river flows north from Taupo for 450 km to the sea near Auckland. Human impacts on the river system have been extensive, primarily dating from European colonisation begun in the 1800s. (Chapman, 1996, pp. 85-89) Looking at the map above, we are able to understand some of the human impacts on the Waikato even prior to damming, and those include the loss of primal swamp and forest lands due to erosion and the increase in the levels of water nutrients, which were in turn brought about by human settlement in the catchment areas near Taupo, briging about agriculture, domestication of farm animals, and the subsequent pollution to the catchment water that that caused (Chapman, 1996, pp. 85-89). Moving on to the present, and we see from the literature that the same ecological concerns are present, and in some areas of ecological and environmental concern the extent of the problems and the degradation has intensified. The present problem of agricultural waste going into the catchment area has added to it the concern about waste seeping into the catchment area from undeground, including nitrogen and other effluents, which are the product of an agricultural method that must use chemicals for intensive farming. The problem of the pollution of water in the system has introduced concerns with regard to wastewater treatment, problems with arsenic and other contaminants, and problems relating to treating water for human consumption (Answers Corporation, 2012). Taking a step back, nuanced research on the subject of the general impact of damming on river ecosystems point to complex factors that need to be considered to evaluate total impact. The understanding from many years of research into many different river systems and damming implementations point out that ecological, economic, and other environmental concerns all play a role in the dynamic of the whole interaction between dams and river ecosystems, and must be considered in total. Even in the best of cases, the expert study notes, the true and lasting effects of damming on river systems cannot be predicted with any real accuracy in advance, and it may be, following from this line of thinking, that the adverse consequences to the ecology may be far worse than some models may predict (McCartney et al,. 2001): The complex inter-relationship between dams and their environment make it extremely difficult to predict all the consequences that dam construction will have for any particular river ecosystem. The impact of each dam is unique and dependent not only on dam structure, but also local sediment supplies, geomorphic constraints, climate, and the key attributes of the local biota (McCartney et al, 2001, p.v). Going back to the situation in Waikato, literature exists that pinpoint the presence of dams as being a primary cause of degradation for the Waikato River system. The degradation that is seen for instance in one part of the river system in Karapiro and Ngaruawahlia notes that the culprit for the degradation is the Karapiro dam. This is so because the dam system causes the supply of sediments from further up in the stream towards this part to be halted, causing the observed degraded nature of this part of the system, and being traced back to as early as the 1960s. The dangers that the dam poses on the rive system and on the surrounding ecology have been identified to be two-fold. One is that the continued degradation may halt deepening processes in the river, and cause the river to widen instead. Two is that there may be a weakening of the layers underneath the river, resulting in exposure, which may turn aggravate degradation as the exposed layers of the river become subject to the degrading forces (Smart 2003, p. 4). V. Discussion of the Results The Taylor interview and the results of the secondary research undertaken here in this study points to a number of shared and contradictory assessments with regard to the overall impact of hydroelectric power generation on the Waikato River, its ecosystem, its nearby inhabitants, and New Zealand and the country society in general. There are first significant overlaps with regard to the environmental impact of the dams. One overlap between the primary research and the secondary research findings is with regard to the adverse impact of damming on water flows, water quality, and the overall health of the river system. The ecosystem, fragile as it is, is acknowledged in both the literature and by Taylor to be adversely affected by for example the shift in the river shoreline as a result of the thinning out of water flows, the changes in the flow of water, and the sometimes abnormal lowering of water levels. Other studies point out that changes in the way sediments reach downstream areas mean that some previously weak underwater layers of the river are suddenly exposed and are vulnerable to degradation. Both primary and secondary research likewise affirms that damming has had an adverse impact on the way people in the region are able to use or not use the river system for traditional leisure and food sourcing activities (Taylor, 2012; Smart, 2003, p. 4; McCartney et al, 2001). On the other hand, there are significant variances too, in the way the two modes of research depict the overall impact of damming on the Waikato River system and its stakeholders. One is that where Taylor has an idea of a certain extent of ecological adverse impact, the literature notes that the impact of damming on the ecosystem, for one, may be graver and more far reaching than traditional estimations make them out to be. For instance, the literature notes that the social costs of damming, in the long run, may be underestimated, and not fully imputed into models that estimate the total costs of damming (McCartney et al, 2001): The problem faced by those responsible for power and water management concern the ways that dams impact on the environment, and how these impacts can be measured and taken into account by decision makers. Ecosystem impacts are effectively costs to society, and need to be included into accounting structures and applied at the project appraisal stage of dam planning. (McCartney et al., 2001, p. v). Vi. Conclusions and Recommendations There are at least two sides to the question of the overall impact of damming on the Waikato River and its stakeholders. One side is with regard to the economic aspect. That the region has come to provide a sizable percentage of the overall energy capacity of the whole country means that the hydroelectric power plants are necessary for the country to keep itself and its economy moving. The large economic uplift that Taylor notes in the interview are real, and even he, as an expert, underestimated just how large and significant, and indispensable, the economic impact of the power plants have on the region and the nations economic life. The second side of the issue has to do with the human and environmental/ecological impact ofdamming on the river system and the surrounding environment. Here primary research acknowledges adverse impacts, but to a certain extent underestimates that impact. Individual studies by concerned stakeholders in Waikato have come to document adverse impact on a fairly detailed and localized fashion. Expert research that covers many river and damming systems worldwide, meanwhile, warn against underestimating the adverse impact of damming on the ecology, and warns that the long term impact of damming on river systems to present and future generations cannot be adequately foreseen and modeled (McCartney et al, 2001; Taylor, 2012; Smart, 2003). VII. References Answers Corporation (2012). Waikato River, Answers.com. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from http://www.answers.com/topic/waikato-river?curtab=Mentioned_In/ Chapman, MA (1996). Human impacts on the Waikato River system, New Zealand. . GeoJournal 40 (1-2). Retrieved 29 March 2012 from http://www.springerlink.com/content/q3u2227077739526/ Landcare Research (2012). Site 1: Waikato River. . Landcare Research. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/built/fish/waikato.asp McCartney, MP et al. (2001). Ecosystem Impacts of Large Dams. . UNEP/United Nations Foundation. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from http://intranet.iucn.org/webfiles/doc/archive/2001/iucn852.pdf New Hampshire Public Television (2012). Ecosystems. NatureWorks. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwepecosystems.htm Smart, G. (2003). Degradation of the Waikato River Karapiro to Ngaruawahia. Environment Waikato. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/PageFiles/11266/865325.pdf US Geological Survey (2012). Hydroelectric Power: How it works. USGS. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html Waikato CDEM Group Plan (2011). Waikatos Hazard and Risk Profile. Retrieved 29 March 2012 from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:nkPvuD_e26YJ:www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/community/CDEM/Plan/DraftWaikatoCDEM7-14.pdf+DraftWaikatoCDEM7-14.pdf&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESg1YcqnxxLTVxvHIc8aEososrUQrngnLFaELIvNkqWsnVxq1rD6ddW5-efZtFcIlmA9DOmG28h97aUMM-k1I_tSYALHz0uz0TgMojx-BnFX_0cS6VKkIDL_EN4yoy8UKBMiGLMf&sig=AHIEtbT6edHJgldh_pgcwH5ggkh3ctTWVw Taylor, R. (2012). Interview (See appendices section) VIII. Glossary Ecosystem – A coordinated system consisting of both living and non-living components (New Hampshire Public Television, 2012). Hydroelectric power – Basically power generated from damming systems, using the force of water flow to generate electricity (US Geological Survey, 2012) Read More