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Off-channel reservoirs come with problems

Off-channel reservoirs, constructed away from a river's main channel, may be more environmentally friendly in some ways than on-channel reservoirs, but they come with their own problems.

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Lilly pads in Stamford Lake, near Paint Creek, which was dug as a reservoir in the 1950s.
Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

Off-channel reservoirs, constructed away from a river's main channel, may be more environmentally friendly in some ways than on-channel reservoirs, but they come with their own problems. They may disrupt the flow of the river from which water is being piped to them, and aquatic life such as mussels may be harmed. (Texaslivingwaters.org)

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