<p>It has exceptionally little elevation change. 2000 miles (3218 km) from the mouth to the Peru border there is only 300 feet (91 m) of elevation change; an average grade of 0.15 inch per mile (1 in 35200). Apparently that is why so much area if flooded in Brazil during the wet season , there is very little elevation to push the water down river. So although the volume of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Amazon-River/Hydrology" rel="noreferrer">Amazon</a> is huge there is no elevation to develop pressure to turn a turbine in a dam.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-12T02:10:03.847Z
As a point of comparison, Hoover Dam gets twice the height over a distance of just 60 miles.
Mark
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T16:16:45.670Z
And AFAIK there are few, if any, hydroelectric dams on the lower Mississippi.
jamesqf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-01T21:28:27.413Z
@jamesqf, depending on how you count, there are either 0 or 1: the Old River Control Structure has a hydroelectric plant that works off the height difference between the main stream of the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya River.
Mark
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-12T00:48:20.097Z
2021-06-12T09:04:56.687Z
2021-06-12T09:04:56.687Z
blacksmith37
<p>Typically, a dam creates a stretched basin, not only wide, or / and deep, but long.  Between the point water enters this newly created container, and the exit gates of the dam, water will slow down, and any thing which was floating earlier has plenty time to settle.  While this sedimentation is wanted e.g., in waste water facilities past the biological treatment to remove the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_sludge" rel="nofollow noreferrer">activated sludge</a>, it is not good for dams because over time, this build-up of deposit reduces the water (intake) capacity of the dam. And apparently (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_River#Mouth" rel="nofollow noreferrer">reference</a>), the Amazon river carries a lot of mud.</p>
<p>In addition, the Amazon is an important route of transportation for goods, population as well as animals. Thus building such road blocks equally  demands the construction (and maintenance) of locks for ships, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_ladder" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fish ladders</a> to compensate at least a little for the impact of a dam.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-11T20:57:16.510Z
2021-06-11T20:57:16.510Z
Buttonwood
<p>Flow turbines - also called power buoys, would be the most suitable form of hydro power for the Amazon and its many tributaries. With a maximum of 70 kW per buoy at the moment, the Amazon needs a lot of these power plants to become world champion in hydro power.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.aqualibre.at/files/pressemitteilung_aqualibre_powerfluxx_englisch.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.aqualibre.at/files/pressemitteilung_aqualibre_powerfluxx_englisch.pdf</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-18T16:21:20.073Z
2022-01-18T17:05:55.170Z
2022-01-18T17:05:55.170Z
Rammstein
<p>According to Worldatlas.com, the Amazon doesn't even make 4th onto the list of the deepest rivers in the world, it's not the longest, although closely trailing the Nile.</p>
<p>@Buttonwoods Answer also provides good reasons for why the amazon is not the place for dams,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;In addition, the Amazon is an important route of transportation for
goods, population as well as animals. Thus building such road blocks
equally demands the construction (and maintenance) of locks for ships,
and fish ladders to compensate at least a little for the impact of a
dam.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T16:59:02.427Z
2021-06-13T16:59:02.427Z
Tardy
<p>Because of its high flow rate, why isn't the Amazon River one of the top rivers with  the highest potential for hydro electric power potential in the world?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-11T21:20:02.290Z
Because it does not depend on flow rate only, but also on difference in height? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropower#Calculating_the_amount_of_available_power
Jean-Marie Prival
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T15:48:01.557Z
Please don't vandalize your posts. By posting on the Stack Exchange network, you've granted a non-revocable right, under the [CC BY-SA 4.0 license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), for Stack Exchange to distribute that content (i.e. regardless of your future choices). By Stack Exchange policy, the non-vandalized version of the post is the one which is distributed, and thus, any vandalism will be reverted. If you want to know more about deleting a post please see: [How does deleting work?](/help/what-to-do-instead-of-deleting-question).
cigien
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T15:50:11.367Z
I’m voting to close this question because its no longer a question, just “..k ..k”
jeffronicus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-13T16:09:59.023Z
@jeffronicus we don't need to close a question due to spam.  We just get rid of the spam.
f.thorpe
<hydrology>
Why isn't the Amazon River in the top for the highest hydropower potential
Tatar
# Why isn't the Amazon River in the top for the highest hydropower potential

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-06-11)

Because of its high flow rate, why isn't the Amazon River one of the top rivers with the highest potential for hydro electric power potential in the world?

**Tags:** hydrology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Because it does not depend on flow rate only, but also on difference in height? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropower#Calculating_the_amount_of_available_power  
> **username_2**: Please don't vandalize your posts. By posting on the Stack Exchange network, you've granted a non-revocable right, under the [CC BY-SA 4.0 license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), for Stack Exchange to distribute that content (i.e. regardless of your future choices). By Stack Exchange policy, the non-vandalized version of the post is the one which is distributed, and thus, any vandalism will be reverted. If you want to know more about deleting a post please see: [How does deleting work?](/help/what-to-do-instead-of-deleting-question).  
> **username_3**: I’m voting to close this question because its no longer a question, just “..k ..k”  
> **username_4**: @username_3 we don't need to close a question due to spam.  We just get rid of the spam.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-06-12. Score: 11

It has exceptionally little elevation change. 2000 miles (3218 km) from the mouth to the Peru border there is only 300 feet (91 m) of elevation change; an average grade of 0.15 inch per mile (1 in 35200). Apparently that is why so much area if flooded in Brazil during the wet season , there is very little elevation to push the water down river. So although the volume of the [Amazon](https://www.britannica.com/place/Amazon-River/Hydrology) is huge there is no elevation to develop pressure to turn a turbine in a dam.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: As a point of comparison, Hoover Dam gets twice the height over a distance of just 60 miles.  
> **username_7**: And AFAIK there are few, if any, hydroelectric dams on the lower Mississippi.  
> **username_6**: @username_7, depending on how you count, there are either 0 or 1: the Old River Control Structure has a hydroelectric plant that works off the height difference between the main stream of the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya River.  

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### Answer by username_8 on 2021-06-11. Score: 3

Typically, a dam creates a stretched basin, not only wide, or / and deep, but long. Between the point water enters this newly created container, and the exit gates of the dam, water will slow down, and any thing which was floating earlier has plenty time to settle. While this sedimentation is wanted e.g., in waste water facilities past the biological treatment to remove the [activated sludge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_sludge), it is not good for dams because over time, this build-up of deposit reduces the water (intake) capacity of the dam. And apparently ([reference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_River#Mouth)), the Amazon river carries a lot of mud.

In addition, the Amazon is an important route of transportation for goods, population as well as animals. Thus building such road blocks equally demands the construction (and maintenance) of locks for ships, and [fish ladders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_ladder) to compensate at least a little for the impact of a dam.


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### Answer by username_9 on 2022-01-18. Score: 1

Flow turbines - also called power buoys, would be the most suitable form of hydro power for the Amazon and its many tributaries. With a maximum of 70 kW per buoy at the moment, the Amazon needs a lot of these power plants to become world champion in hydro power.

<http://www.aqualibre.at/files/pressemitteilung_aqualibre_powerfluxx_englisch.pdf>


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### Answer by username_10 on 2021-06-13. Score: -1

According to Worldatlas.com, the Amazon doesn't even make 4th onto the list of the deepest rivers in the world, it's not the longest, although closely trailing the Nile.

@Buttonwoods Answer also provides good reasons for why the amazon is not the place for dams,

> "In addition, the Amazon is an important route of transportation for
> goods, population as well as animals. Thus building such road blocks
> equally demands the construction (and maintenance) of locks for ships,
> and fish ladders to compensate at least a little for the impact of a
> dam."


---

