Environmental effects of reservoirs.

Abstract

Severe effects may occur below a dam, sometimes for hundreds of kilometers. These are due to the action of the reservoir as a source or sink for heat, sediments and solutes, and to changes in the diurnal or annual flooding pattern. The movement of anadromous fish may be impeded or blocked. Large impoundments may modify the climate in their vicinities or downstream. They may induce seismic activity under certain geophysical conditions. They may contribute to the spread of certain diseases, and reduce the incidence of others. -from Author