Re: A Republican!!!!!! (was Re: OT: sponge burning!)

[Paul Johnson <baloo@ursine.ca>]

Ron Johnson wrote:

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> On 02/28/07 12:58, judd@wadsworth.org wrote:
>> On 27 Feb, Ron Johnson wrote:
>> 
>>>> It's not stupid if you haven't been there.
>>> I thought you were smarter than that.
>>>
>>> Presuming you're not:
>>>
>>> Mountains and valleys (great for filling up with dammed water) are
>>> the predominant geological feature of the areas of the Columbia and
>>> Snake rivers where those hydro dams are located.
>>>
>>> Mountains and valleys are *not* the predominant geological feature
>>> of the Great Plains states, or those uber-mountainous states like
>>> Louisiana and Mississippi.
>>>
>> 
>>      But there are turbines which are designed to extract energy
>> from the flow of a river without the need of significant height
>> gradients.  And tidewater generators don't rely on any (land)
>> topography, so the question is not entirely unreasonable.
> 
> Taking energy out of the river means it slows down, depositing more
> silt, and in unexpected places.  Which means impaired ship
> navigation and more dredging.

Depends on the location.  The Columbia River was not exactly a navigable
waterway above Bonneville Falls before the Bonneville Power Administration
started building dams.

 
> And in the spring flood stages, a slower river means more floods.