River Shannon

Fill in the Blanks The Shannon is the longest River in Ireland. It has a large amount of tributaries.The Shannon Hydoelectric Scheme was a plan by the Irish government in the 1920s to provide, cheap, reliable and plentiful electricity to the country. The main aspects of the scheme are the Parteen Weir, the headrace canal and the Ardnacrusha Dam. The Parteen Weir diverts the water from the reservoir near Killaloe towards the headrace Canal, to Ardnacrusha Dam.The benefits include the creation of renewable energy using HEP. It also manages the risk of flooding.Disadvantages include loss of farmland, relocation of homes and bridges and roads were buried under water.Flooding Occurs every Winter and some periods in the Summer.The worst flooding every experienced was in 2015. It followed very heavy rainfall that was three times the average for the time of year. The ground quickly became saturated.The effects: 400 homes were flooded and abondanoed. Another 150 were marooned and cut off by flood waters. Shops were flooded and stock destroyed. Roads were impassable. Many animals had to be moved to higher ground. The cost of repairing the damage was 100 million.