Cost-Benefit Analysis of Dam Projects: The Perspectives of Resettled and Non-resettled Communities

The research focuses on the perception of the Mucharz reservoir in relation to costs and benefits for two types of communities. The primary aim of the paper is to compare the social impact of dam projects among both resettled and non-resettled local communities. The secondary aim of the paper is to test multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) as a tool to examine the social impact assessment (SIA) of dam projects. The studied dam is located on the Skawa River within the Polish Carpathians. We used in-depth interviews with a non-resettled (N?=?96) and resettled (N?=?57) local population. To analyse the collected data, we performed multivariate analysis of variance. The main results indicate that the social assessment of dam projects differs significantly depending on whether one belongs to the group of resettled or non-resettled population. MANOVA is an effective tool for the analysis of the social impact assessment (SIA) of dam projects.

     

Assessment of the hydromorphological state of Carpathian rivers above and below reservoirs

The article presents the results of an assessment of the hydromorphological state of selected Carpathian rivers in sections above and below the reservoirs. An attempt has also been made to assess the impact of reservoirs on the hydromorphological conditions and quality of river habitats. The research was based on the River Habitat Survey (RHS) method. The synthetic indices Habitat Quality Assessment (HQA) and Habitat Modification Score (HMS) were calculated on the basis of the gathered data for each section studied; this allowed the hydromorphological qualities of the rivers to be assessed numerically. The reservoirs interrupt river continuum, and they alter different biotic and abiotic elements of natural environment. However, this study has shown that the operation of reservoirs does not always negatively impact the hydromorphological conditions of rivers that reflect their habitat quality. The influence of reservoirs on a river's hydromorphological state above and below a reservoir's location may be neutral, but it also can improve the habitat conditions of a river.     

Community perception of the Klimkówka Reservoir in Poland

This article presents the results of a survey on how people perceive the Klimkówka storage reservoir located on the Ropa River in the Polish Carpathians. The analysis focused on establishing the role of various factors which impact the assessment of the reservoir by the local community. Community perception of the reservoir was analyzed in relation to several aspects linked to the reservoir itself, e.g. the risk of dam failure, feeling of safety, pros and cons, and how accustomed people were to the reservoir. A crucial issue was to identify how the real threat of a flood, experienced by people living below the dam, affected the way people perceived the reservoir. As a result of the analysis, a hierarchy of factors which determine people's assessment of large hydraulic structures was established. The results can be applied to determine specific measures aimed at limiting negative community perception of water infrastructure.     

The Role of Reservoirs in Shaping The Dominant Cyclicity And Energy Of Mountain River Flows

The main objective of the paper is to determine the role of mountain reservoirs in shaping the dominant cyclicity and energy of river flows. The paper compares a large complex composed of two reservoirs (Czorsztyn–Sromowce Wy?ne) with a smaller reservoir (Besko). These reservoirs are located in the Polish Carpathians and are characterised by very different parameters and functions. Moreover, they operate on rivers (the Dunajec and the Wis?ok) with different hydrologic regimes. Using Fourier spectral analysis of daily inflows, outflows and water levels in reservoirs for the period 1998–2012, it has been possible to identify the dominant frequencies of the considered time series with a percentage of spectral energy for these frequencies. Moreover, for signals created by river flow rates, changes in signal energy are associated with adequate changes in river energy. Therefore, by calculating the energy of the signal in the time domain, changes in signal energy can be observed before and after the water passes through the reservoir. Data on cyclicity of water levels in these reservoirs forms the background to the analysis of reservoir‐induced changes in cyclicity of river flows. The conducted analysis revealed that reservoirs strengthen the regularity of the annual periodicity of stream flow in the studied rivers. Besides, these reservoirs significantly reduce the energy of water flowing out of them compared to the energy of inflow. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Disturbance of water‐air temperature synchronisation by dam reservoirs

A thermal regime of aquatic ecosystems determines the possibility of survival and development of aquatic biota. Thermal stratification of river water impounded by dam reservoirs can cause a permanent disturbance in the naturally existing water‐air temperature relationship downstream of reservoirs. This article aims at determining the role of dam reservoirs in the disturbance of naturally shaped synchronous behaviour of water‐air temperatures. The object of the analysis is the Carpathian river Dunajec downstream of a reservoir complex built in 1994–1997. Results of spectral analysis indicate that the annual scale is the main scale of water temperature (WT) variation, and this scale corresponds to the main frequency of phase synchronisation. However, following the reservoirs construction, the definite synchronous behaviour of interacting air and WTs was apparently distorted, because the response time of WT to changing atmospheric conditions has considerably increased in comparison with the predam period.     

Interlaboratory Comparison on High-Temperature Superconductor Critical-Current Measurements

An extensive interlaboratory comparison was conducted on high temperature superconductor (HTS) critical-current measurements. This study was part of an international cooperative effort through the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). The study involved six U.S. laboratories that are recognized leaders in the field of HTS. This paper includes the complete results from this comparison of critical-current measurements on Ag-sheathed Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_10–x (2223) tapes. The effects of sample characteristics, specimen mounting, measurement technique, and specimen damage were studied. The future development of a standard HTS measurement method is also discussed. Most of the evolution of this emerging technology has occurred in improvement of the performance of the conductors. The successful completion of this interlaboratory comparison is an important milestone in the evolution of HTS technology and marks a level of maturity that the technology has reached.     

The impact of a reservoir on the physicochemical properties of water in a mountain river

The article presents the changes in the physicochemical properties (temperature, conductivity and pH) of the water in the Ropa River in the Polish Carpathians that were caused by the Klimkówka Reservoir, which was commissioned for operation in 1994. The study uses data mainly from daily measurements of the physicochemical properties of the water in the Ropa River. The measurements were taken during the period prior to the reservoir being built (1982–1993) and from the period after the dam became operational (1994–2006). The measurements were conducted 16 km downriver from the dam. The conducted analysis shows that the Klimkówka Reservoir radically changed the thermal conditions and the annual cycle for water conductivity in the Ropa River. The pH of the water in the Ropa River experienced the smallest changes.     

Anomalous switching phenomenon in critical-current measurementswhen using conductive mandrels

NIST and other laboratories have observed an anomalous switching phenomenon that can occur in critical-current measurements of coiled Nb-Ti and Nb₃Sn superconductors when mounted on an electrically-conductive measurement mandrel. During acquisition of the voltage-current (V-I) characteristic, large voltage discontinuities are observed, This switching phenomenon results in a multivalued V-I curve, and apparently multiple “critical current” values, An explanation of this phenomenon, some necessary conditions for the switching to occur, as well as methods of detecting the phenomenon are given     

Local Authority vs Community Visions of Dam Project Land Development: a Text Mining Approach

The purpose of the paper is to examine and compare the visions of social and economic development in the area around the newly constructed Mucharz dam reservoir on the Skawa River in southern Poland as represented by both the local community and local authorities. A text mining approach was used to analyse both the information collected through interviews with local residents and documents detailing the development plans for the land surrounding the dam drafted by the local authorities. The results of the study indicate strong mismatches between the ideas for the development of the area surrounding the dam as envisioned by the local authorities and those of the local community. The mismatches refer both to the contents of the plans and to their degree of generality. The authorities focus on general conceptual visions of the area, but the residents expect specific actions and measures to be undertaken. Major discrepancies between the perspectives of both groups of stakeholders can result in residents becoming unsatisfied with the actions taken by the local authorities, poor collaboration between them and even conflicts between the community and the authorities. The text mining methodology applied in the study has been rarely used so far in research on people's perception of dam projects and has proven useful in examining social impact assessment.