EndlessHalftime

EndlessHalftime t1_j5v2jln wrote

One pice I think you may be missing is that not all of the snowpack is useful. Snowpack in a reservoir’s watershed is basically additional water in the reservoir. But snowpack that does not melt to a reservoir is will just flow into the ocean.

So you’re adding water (damed) with snow (damed and undamed). It’s not something that’s really fair to add together.

Or that’s accounted for in the 2016 paper and I just misunderstood.

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EndlessHalftime t1_ixdd93u wrote

You’re ignoring the fact that old dams including these need massive upgrades to have a new license approved. They were also built long before current seismic design standards. Dam safety isn’t something you want to shortcut. Oroville dam didn’t even fail and it cost a billion dollars to repair.

The project is driven by money. Any environmental benefits are an added bonus.

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