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I understand the link posted here is specifically about dams on the Hudson. I question in general whether one can really say that all dams are such net negative

I understand the link posted here is specifically about dams on the Hudson. I question in general whether one can really say that all dams are such net negatives for ecosystems. Would we not be able to get hydroelectricity from a beaver style dam? and are those dams not generally seen as helpful to promote certain often very beneficial ecosystems? Also, in some sense, wind and solar power aren't fully "green" energy because they require giant turbines and solar cells that require a lot of polluting to make, maintain, and eventually dispose of. We still, of course, seem to consider them to be green and beneficial, I assume because someone has done the calculus to see that the costs of their pollution is less than the benefit of their use. I'm willing to bet that many dams are similar.

Arnt 6y ago
We can get electricity from any kind of dam except one that blocks all water forever. We get electricity when water flows through, see? The best kind of dam from the point of view of the power utility is one that allows the water flow to scale freely from zero to overwhelming to match electricity demand, and never allows water to bypass the turbines. But that's an extreme, not the only kind that makes financial sense. If you both reduce the time flexibility and also allow some water to bypass the turbines, you can usually get most of the power at a small environmental cost... usually, not always.
tvaughan 6y ago
This https://www.outsideonline.com/2413366/steelhead-fish-return-elwha-river-washington-dam-removal https://www.outsideonline.com/2413366/steelhead-fish-return-... was posted yesterday about dam removals in the Pacific Northwest, and the subsequent return of steelhead trout to the rivers.