Below is a link to the presentation I was a part of for Green Engineering survey class. My group decided to study the impact of dams on the environment and populations that surround them. We were inspired to choose this topic after hearing about a movement a few years ago to remove the dams on the Olentangy, and we wanted to learn more about the impact of dams.
Although dams help create a great amount of energy through hydropower, blocking off massive natural waterways has drawbacks; water temperature rises, the flow of sediment is restricted, and many species of fish are blocked off from their breeding grounds. Also, tens of millions of people have been displaced from their indigenous land due to the large area needed to store water in a reservoir. There are some up and coming plans to renovate our nations dams and lessen their negative impact, which was not completely understood when many were being built in the mid 20th century, but the pace of reform is slow.