Water Power
Water power or hydro power is derived from the energy of moving water.
Power can be extracted from a variety of sources: flowing water, tidal action, wave action
In the past water power was used directly often in the form of water wheels or mills.
This requires that the end user be placed close to the water supply.
The most common usage of water power today is the generation of electricity.
This arrangement has the advantage that the end user can be remote from the source.
Extracting power from moving water does not necessarily require the construction of a dam and small projects are sometimes constructed without a dam.
However large hydro electric projects do require the damming of a river.
Producing electricity using water power has the advantage of being nonpolluting and cheap, at least after the dam has been constructed.
It is also available whenever needed, if there are no political or other constraints.
Dams are often built for storage of water for irrigation with power produvction as a byproduct.
In this case, power is produced when water is relesed for irrigation.
A disadvantage is that the construction of a large expensive dam is required, along with considerable damage to the natural environment.
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