Elwha Educational Video 3: “Water to Watts”

Duration:

6 minutes, 43 seconds

How do hydroelectric dams harness the energy of moving water and convert it to electricity?

 

Exploring the Elwha River Ecosystem Video Series- Freeing the Elwha Curriculum Correlation

Water to Watts
Freeing The Elwha Curriculum Lesson	Next Generation Science Correlation
Lesson 14: Impact of Hydroelectric Dams on SalmonGuiding Question: Dams are important to people but they have a serious impact on salmon migration. How do dams affect salmon and what successes have people had in trying to help salmon migration?Overview: This lesson focuses on the impacts that hydroelectric dams have had on anadromous salmon migration and some of the mitigation techniques that have been designed to reduce these impacts. Hydroelectric projects were started during the Great Depression and continued through the 1960's and 1970's for the purpose of channeling water for irrigation in the arid Columbia Basin and to generate cheap electricity. However, the dams created obstructions for migrating salmon. Even those dams built with fish passage, such as fish ladders and navigation canals, have had major impacts on the survivorship of juvenile salmon due to mortality in the turbines and spillways, increased water temperatures, predation, and a myriad of other factors.	Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World The uses of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. Thus technology use varies from region to region and over time. (MS-LS2-5)
Lesson 15: Effects of Elwha Dams on SalmonGuiding Question: The building of the Elwha River Dams had a huge impact on the anadromous fish of the Elwha River, why were the dams built in the first place, how have they affected anadromous fish and the surrounding environment, and why are they coming down?Overview: This lesson focuses on the impacts that the building of the two dams on the Elwha River had on anadromous fish species, including the loss of 70 miles of river habitat for migrating fish, the effects of sediment loss on spawning grounds downstream, and general habitat degradation downstream. Learn about pre-dam conditions both in-river and in the surrounding terrestrial environment. Then hear the story of Thomas Aldwell, the entrepreneur who built the first dam and refused to accommodate fish. Finally, discuss the political and environmental conditions that led to the decision to remove the dams.	LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.(MS-LS2-4) ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems The more precisely a design task’s criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that is likely to limit possible solutions. (MS-ETS1-1) Science Addresses Questions About the Natural and Material World Scientific knowledge can describe the consequences of actions but does not necessarily prescribe the decisions that society takes. (MS-LS2-5) Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science All human activity draws on natural resources and has both short and long-term consequences, positive as well as negative, for the health of people and the natural environment. (MS-ETS1-1)Crosscutting Concept: Stability and Change HYPERLINK "http://ngss.nsta.org/NSforCC.aspx?id=8&detailid=4"