Colleagues (John Waldman and Amy Roe) and I had been thinking and writing about the Conowingo Dam as a quintessential "wicked environmental problem." Completed in 1928, this dam cut off the Susquehanna River from the Chesapeake Bay. Three other dams that extend up the next 45 miles constitute an effective block for most fishes, despite attempts at fishways.
The river is written off by the public, trading river health for hydro power. What makes this more of a wicked problem is that there is a substantial amount of sediment behind the dam that, if released suddenly, would exacerbate the eutrophication problems of the already beleaguered Bay. Add to this dependence on the reservoir by a nuclear plant, and service to Baltimore as an emergency water source, and nobody thinks the Conowingo Dam can be removed. Except those who are willing to think out of the box... It seemed like a perfect topic to challenge bright students, especially those trained in interdisciplinary environmental science, design, and restoration. - Karin Limburg, SUNY ESF |