hydropower – Aquarius-Systems

June 2025 Newsletter

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 17:28:38 +0000

From Beer to Beavers Why Water Quality Matters

A Message from Our Leader: Hazy, Crazy Summer at Aquarius Systems

Study Links Tap Water to PFAS in Craft Beer

Making a Dam Difference in Oregon

Protecting Lake Coeur d’Alene from Hidden Pollution

Upcoming Conferences

New Hampshire Lakes Lakes Congress
Maine Lakes & Lake Stewards Annual Conference

Aquarius Systems Shares Waterway Equipment Solutions at Milwaukee Global Water Center

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 15:42:37 +0000

It goes without saying that naval officers are interested in water. But officers from around the world got a brand-new view of water issues and solutions during a visit to the Global Water Center in Milwaukee.

The visit was part of the Naval Staff College professional development program at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island. Naval officers representing 30 countries, including Senegal, Malaysia, Norway, Colombia and Timor-Leste, are taking part, traveling across the country to learn more about American life.

But water, of course, is universal. During the officers’ morning at the Global Water Center – headquarters of The Water Council – they learned what private companies, NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) and universities are doing to address worldwide water crises.

Officers heard from Aquarius Systems, a member of The Water Council that makes surface water management equipment. Jane Dauffenbach explained how machines such as aquatic vegetation cutters, trash skimmers and amphibious excavators help communities all over the world clear the surfaces of lakes and rivers, allowing them to continue using the water for drinking, irrigation and hydropower.

Garbage Buildup on the Drina River Threatens Bosnia Hydropower Dam

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 22:03:10 +0000

The Balkan nations have poor waste management programs, and tons of garbage routinely end up in rivers, including the occasional washing machine or computer screen. A broken barrier this week caused a massive buildup of garbage on the Drina that has threatened Bosnia’s Visegrad dam.

Officials say that between 6,000 and 8,000 cubic meters of waste are pulled out of the river each year. At the Visegrad dam, efforts began to clear away the clogging garbage and to avoid potential damage to the power system.

Puerto Rico Uses Weed Harvesters to Remove Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce From Carraízo Reservoir

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 19:24:09 +0000

Carraízo reservoir in Puerto Rico has fallen victim to two of the world’s most invasive aquatic plants: water lettuce and water hyacinth. Often found together, the invasive plants grow at exponential rates, obstruct waterways, clog hydropower plants, and prevent sunlight from penetrating the water’s surface, reducing water quality.

The Aqueduct and Sewer Authority began its plan to remove and compost the aquatic vegetation from the reservoir as part of a project to improve the use and rendering of water for the 140,000 clients that are they serve as the dam.

The Aquarius Systems Aquatic Weed Harvester is removing about 4,000 cubic yards of water hyacinth weekly, which is then taken to composting facilities. Compost is a sustainable alternative to avoid the accumulation of vegetative material in landfills, whose capacity is already compromised.

As Vermont Nears 75% Renewable Power, is it Clean Enough?

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:48:07 +0000

On paper, Vermont boasts one of the cleanest electric grids in the country. About 66% of the state’s electricity came from renewables in 2019. The state’s Renewable Energy Standard requires utilities to get to at least 75% renewables by 2032, including wind, solar, biomass and hydropower. But critics say the problem is that a huge portion of power is from out-of-state hydropower.

Currently, about 50% of Vermont’s electricity is tied to HydroQuebec’s massive hydropower operations north of the border. But environmentalists say the state is greenwashing power that has resulted in catastrophic damage to ecosystems, significant releases of carbon emissions from submerged trees and the displacement of indigenous communities in northern Quebec. HydroQuebec’s 550 dikes and dams have destroyed 3.8 million acres of native lands across Quebec.

Scientists and experts are critical of counting HydroQuebec power as a renewable source because it comes at an enormous price. Shallow reservoirs that cover vast woodland areas can be extremely dirty from a carbon emissions point of view. That’s because when a dam is first constructed large areas of land are flooded, and trees that once captured carbon start to decompose under the water, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.

As these underwater forests decay, carbon continues to be emitted into the atmosphere, HydroQuebec says it takes a tree 10 years to decay while researchers feel more realistic numbers are between 30 and 50 years to remove the carbon stored in water logged trees. A newly constructed dam emits more greenhouse gasses than a 100-year old dam.

Beyond greenhouse gas emissions, there are other environmental and human impacts associated with flooding thousands of acres of land to create large hydro projects. The reservoirs made it impossible for Tribes to continue traditional hunting and fishing practices, such as following sturgeon up river during the spring spawning season. The raising and lowering of the water level triggers a bacterial conversion of mercury turning it into a lethal neurotoxin that is now accumulating in the food chain.