Ledec, GeorgeQuintero, Juan David2014-09-172014-09-172003-11https://hdl.handle.net/10986/20226This paper provides a simple, yet robust, methodology for comparing proposed hydroelectric project sites in terms of their expected negative environmental impacts, and relating these to power generation benefits. The paper also summarizes the environmental mitigation options for large dams. If properly implemented, these mitigation measures can effectively prevent, minimize, or compensate for many (though not all) of a hydroelectric project's negative impacts. Nonetheless, the most effective environmental mitigation measure is good site selection, to ensure that the proposed dam will cause relatively little damage in the first place. The paper presents quantitative indicators (using data that are relatively easy to obtain) for rating and ranking proposed new hydroelectric projects in terms of their likely adverse environmental impacts. Projects with a small reservoir surface area (relative to power generation) tend to be most desirable from both an environmental and social standpoint, in part because they minimize natural habitat losses as well as resettlement needs. In general, the most environmentally benign hydroelectric dam sites are on upper tributaries, while the most problematic ones are on the large main stems of rivers.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCELERATED EROSIONADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTSAQUATIC BIODIVERSITYAQUATIC FAUNAAQUATIC HABITATAQUATIC LIFEAQUATIC VEGETATIONAQUATIC WEED GROWTHAQUATIC WEEDSARTIFICIAL LAKESBAD DAMSBIG DAMBIG DAM CONTROVERSYBIODIVERSITY CONSERVATIONBIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYCARBONCARBON DIOXIDECATCHMENT AREACATCHMENT AREASCIVIL ENGINEERCIVIL WORKSCLIMATE CHANGECOALCONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKCUBIC METERSDAMDAM CONSTRUCTIONDAM HEIGHTDAM OUTLETSDAM PLANNINGDAM PROJECTSDAM SITEDAM SITESDAMSDEFORESTATIONDRINKING WATERECOLOGICAL QUALITYECOLOGYECONOMIC ANALYSISELECTRICITY GENERATIONEMISSIONSENERGY EFFICIENCYENVIRONMENTALENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTSENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNSENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATIONENVIRONMENTAL COSTSENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGEENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINESENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTSENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTSENVIRONMENTAL ISSUESENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSESTUARIESEXISTING AREAFINANCIAL RESOURCESFISH DIVERSITYFISH LADDERSFISH MIGRATIONSFISH PASSAGEFISHERIESFISHINGFLOOD PROTECTIONFLOW REGULATIONFOREST MANAGEMENTFOSSIL FUELSGLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGEGOOD DAMSGREENHOUSE GASESHEADHIGH DAMHYDRO DEVELOPMENTHYDRO INDUSTRYHYDRO RESERVOIRSHYDROELECTRIC DAMHYDROELECTRIC DAMSHYDROELECTRIC DEVELOPMENTHYDROELECTRIC ENERGYHYDROELECTRIC POWERHYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTSHYDROELECTRIC PROJECTHYDROELECTRIC PROJECTSHYDROELECTRIC SITESHYDROPOWER ASSOCIATIONHYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENTHYDROPOWER FACILITIESHYDROPOWER SITESIMPOUNDMENTINDIGENOUS PEOPLEINDIGENOUS PEOPLESINTAKESINTERNATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATIONINTERNATIONAL RIVERSINTERNATIONAL WATER POWERIRRIGATIONIRRIGATION WATERLAKELAND AREALAND USELARGE DAMLARGE DAMSLARGE HYDROPOWERLARGE HYDROPOWER PROJECTSLARGE RESERVOIRSLARGE RIVERLOCAL PEOPLEMASTER PLANMICRO-DAMSMIGRATORY FISHMIGRATORY FISH SPECIESMINESMITIGATION MEASURESMULTIPURPOSE DAMSNATIVE FISHNATIVE FISH SPECIESNATIVE SPECIESNATURAL GASNATURAL HABITATNATURAL HABITATSOILPOLLUTANTSPOLLUTION CONTROLPOPULATION GROWTHPOWER GENERATIONPOWER PLANTSPOWER SECTORPRIVATE SECTORPROTECTED AREASREGISTER OF DAMSRENEWABLE ELECTRICITYRESERVOIR AREARESERVOIR FILLINGRESERVOIR SEDIMENTATIONRESERVOIR VOLUMERESERVOIR WATERRESERVOIRSRESETTLEMENTRIPARIANRIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMSRIVERRIVER AREARIVER BASINRIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENTRIVER BEDRIVER FLOWRIVER SYSTEMRIVERINERIVERINE ECOSYSTEMSRIVERINE FORESTSRIVERSSAFEGUARD POLICIESSEDIMENTSEDIMENT LOADSSEDIMENT MANAGEMENTSHALLOW RESERVOIRSILENCED RIVERSSMALL RESERVOIRSPILLWAYSSTORAGE RESERVOIRSSTREAMSSTRETCH OF RIVERSURFACE AREASUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTTIMBERTRIBUTARIESTRIBUTARYTRIBUTARY RIVERSTURBINESWASTE DISPOSALWATER LEVELSWATER POLLUTIONWATER QUALITYWATER QUALITY PROBLEMSWATER RESOURCESWATER RETENTIONWATER RETENTION TIMEWATER STORAGEWATER SUPPLIESWATER SUPPLYWATERFALLSWATERSHED MANAGEMENTWETLAND HABITATSWILDLIFEWILDLIFE HABITATWILDLIFE RESCUEWILDLIFE RESOURCESWORLD RIVERS10.1596/20226