Premium
The Impact of Micro‐Hydropower on the Aquatic Environment
Author(s) -
Copeman V. A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/j.1747-6593.1997.tb01376.x
Subject(s) - hydropower , environmental science , benthic zone , water quality , hydrology (agriculture) , aquatic ecosystem , macro , invertebrate , sediment , ecology , water resource management , engineering , biology , geology , computer science , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , programming language
This paper considers the impact of‘run‐of‐river’micro‐hydropower on the aquatic environment, focusing on the Afon Ty'n‐y‐Ddol in Snowdonia. Hydrological modelling of the abstracted reach shows that up to 50% of the annual flow is abstracted for power generation. A sediment and benthic macro‐invertebrate study down the reach showed no significant adverse consequences due to the altered hydrological conditions when subjected to individual taxa, diversity, or quality index analysis. A reduction in‘average score per taxa’immediately below the abstraction point may require further research.