Kielder Dam

Question 1

What are the advantages of building the Kielder Dam? (in Northumberland, completed in 1981)

Answer 1

1, Boosts tourism, reservoirs are attractive. Kielder Dam attracts 300,000 tourists each year which boosts the local economy by £6 million.
2, Forestry- areas around reservoirs may be planted with forests. Over 150 million trees were placed at Kielder, providing a valuable source of employment
3, Highly effective against floods- the release of water is highly controlled so there is virtually no risk of flooding
4, Provides hydroelectric power- turbines may be placed in a dam. Kielder Dam generates 6 MW of electricity, enough to serve a town of 10,000 people
5, Source of drinking water- the Kielder Dam created a ten kilometre long reservoir, holding almost 200,000 million litres of water, to supply drinking water to industrial North East England
6, Promotes new habitats- these develop in and around a reservoir. At Kielder there are conservation areas. The area has rare red squirrels.

Question 2

What were the social costs of Kielder Water?

Answer 2

• the flooding of a valley displaces people, usually farmers from their homes
• At Kielder, 58 families were displaced
• This causes distress and breaks up communities

Question 3

What were the economic costs of Kielder Water?

Answer 3

• dams are expensive. The Kielder Dam costed £167 million and may have been a waste of money. Loss of industry in NE England meant the demand for water and HEP was less than expected
• soils downstream can become less fertile through lack of sediment from floods, which reduces crop yields.

Question 4

What were the environmental costs of the Kielder Dam?

Answer 4

• a concrete dam interferes with the path of migrating fish. Sediment is trapped behind the dam and this interferes with fish spawning grounds.
• Algae often collects behind a dam which deoxygenates the water
• If there should be a sudden release of water through the sluice gates, this can cause river bank erosion downstream
• The building of a dam may trigger an earthquake
• Landslides often occur on the sides of a reservoir; this increases sediment and creates shock waves which damage buildings
• Reservoirs often flood areas of outstanding natural beauty. At Kielder, 1.5 million trees were lost along with 2700 acres of farmland. This had a negative effect on habitats. New plantings are confined to Sitka Spruce.