Skip to main content
LessonGrades 4 - 6

Dam Impacts

While the creation of a dam provides many benefits, it can have negative impacts on local ecosystems. Using the associated activity students learn about the major environmental impacts of dams and the engineering solutions used to address them.

Two black-and-white aerial photos of the same canyon view of the Colorado River in Arizona/Nevada. Left photo shows a narrow river winding through mountainous outcrop terrain. Right photo shows a large reservoir of water has filled in the much of the terrain above Hoover Dam.Landscape views before and after the Hoover Dam was constructed.

Biology and nature's cycles have traditionally been considered the domain of biologists and other scientists. However, with the rise of environmental awareness in engineering, engineers are increasingly interested in understanding these traditionally scientific realms. With some knowledge of ecosystems, engineers can more readily understand the environmental impacts of dams and devise solutions to mitigate ecological damage.

After this lesson, students should be able to:

  • List the major environmental impacts of dams.
  • List the engineering solutions to decrease these impacts.

More Like This