I didn't see this in DR1 news, but this article came over the transom and alarmed me. With a rapidly growing population, nothing is more important that solid water access, especially to population centers.
Sediment chokes icon Dominican dam, agency warns
So Tavaras, at max, hold less than 25% of its design capacity because of sediment? That is a very frightening number, and speaks to why the last dry season was so bad in the Cibao.
And low water means seriously degraded peak hydro power production.
This needs to be addressed NOW. Yesterday. Get the money and make it happen ASAP. Problem is that such projects have to be done in the dry season because getting large dredging equipment to those areas is a problem.
Alida says the gubmint has solicited bids for dredging and the projects would take 2-3 years. This should have been started years ago.
A side benefit of remediation of the dam reserve areas is the availability of a huge amount of decent soil that can be used in areas to supplement poor soil for agriculture.
Sediment chokes icon Dominican dam, agency warns
The Regional Development Council (CRD) technical department on Monday listed the problems and potential solutions for the country's hydroelectric dams based on several studies.
At the top of the CRD list is Tavera dam, built at a cost of over US$45 million in 1973, which supplies 96 megawatts of energy, irrigates 9,100 hectares of farmlands and supplies the main aqueducts in the Cibao region.
"After more than 40 years since built, the population which depends on the dam asks: What's happening?, Is it that the dam is empty?"
The CRD responds that the dam is not empty, "it's full, but with sediment, rubble, tree trunks, garbage and much more."
The CRD warns that the problem is such that the 63 meters of the dam's water surface at 80 meters above sea level is now totally sedimented, leaving just 17 meters to store water.
"The reason is that even if it rains in the river basin, it doesn't accumulate the amount of water that the dam was designed to store."
Technical criteria CRD conclude that it has that affected the Taveras dam, is the same as the other dams in the country, the absence of adequate reforestation of their sockets.
"After the four decades elapsed since 1973, deforestation in all watersheds has expanded and the expected consequences have been: reduced river flows that feed the dams, accelerated soil erosion and rivers swelling in rainy weather are becoming more intense and cause more flooding and shorten the dams' lifespan, the CRD warns, adding: Deforestation in the country is very damaging.
So Tavaras, at max, hold less than 25% of its design capacity because of sediment? That is a very frightening number, and speaks to why the last dry season was so bad in the Cibao.
And low water means seriously degraded peak hydro power production.
This needs to be addressed NOW. Yesterday. Get the money and make it happen ASAP. Problem is that such projects have to be done in the dry season because getting large dredging equipment to those areas is a problem.
Alida says the gubmint has solicited bids for dredging and the projects would take 2-3 years. This should have been started years ago.
A side benefit of remediation of the dam reserve areas is the availability of a huge amount of decent soil that can be used in areas to supplement poor soil for agriculture.