Dams and Sheep: Two Things I Learned in the Paper Today

 

Glen Canyon Dam

#92 October 26:  An interesting article on today’s editorial page. This year 4 dams will come down on the Klamath River between the border of Oregon and California.  Originally built for hydro electrical power they are no longer useful for this purpose, supplying less than 2% of the power in the region.  Dams have been built since man watched the beavers but out West, a great surge of dams were built in the last 100 years including the engineering marvels of the Glen Canyon forming Lake Powell and the Hover Dam forming Lake Mead.  Dave and I have visited them multiple times while traveling out West and mourned their depleted water levels. According to the editorial, what is “doing them in” can only be partly blamed on climate change.  Their demise is being caused by poor maintenance which allows silt to build up behind the dam reducing their ability to generate electricity and maintain a water level to provide for the municipalities that rely on them for both drinking and agricultural water and flood control.  Added benefits of losing the dams include a freer flow for salmon and restoration of cultural waters for Native Americans. How long will these engineering marvels remain useful?  Will they endure?  It’s hard to fight Mother Nature! 10/30

#93  October 27:  When we were in The Netherlands and Belgium, we noticed several clover leaves and roadsides that were being “mowed” by sheep and goats.  An article in today’s paper is about an entrepreneur who is providing “lamb mowers” mainly in Virginia near DC.  You can purchase a “weed and feed” for $195 for 2 hours.  Supposedly the sheep will eat the grass to the optimum 4-inch height including any weeds.  They also leave rich “fertilizer” behind.  Cory Suter, the self-described “Chief Shepherd” will also see that someone comes behind the sheep and string trims the edges; so far he hasn’t been able to teach them that!  LOL For $250, you can purchase a “sheep-over” for bigger jobs. Haven Kiers, an assistant professor of landscape architecture at UC, Davis is researching the benefits of having sheep “mow” the grounds there.  Her study noted that students purposely ride their bikes close to the sheep and sit with them, for comfort, especially after exams! 10/30