What is “low-impact” hydro power?
Hydro power, or typically the power coming from the pressure a dammed waterway exerts on a generation turbine, is an age-old power generation method. In the last 75 years, humans have developed ever-larger dams to serve ever-growing populations. Unfortunately, these large dams simultaneously diminish fish populations, can disrupt ecosystems, and displace people. “Low-impact” simply means that the impact of building a dam does not come at these high prices to other aspects of the ecosystem. The non-profit Low-Impact Hydro Institute runs a certification program that identifies and rewards typically small hydropower dams with only minimal environmental impacts. To learn more about low-impact hydro power, visit the LIHI website at www.lowimpacthydro.org.
