Positive

• Positive: Fresh water supply for growing desert cities (Phoenix)
• Positive: Cheap hydro electric power attracted industries (e.g. electronics to take advantage of the cheap land and low tax)
• Positive: Improved navigation and roads across dams
• Positive: Hydro electric power from the dam powers modern factories such as high value electronics and computer companies in Silicon Valley
• Positive: Migration of people to these cities due to high living standard, climate and new jobs
• Positive: Hydro electric power is clean and renewable
• Positive: Areas at reservoirs (e.g. Lake Mead) give opportunities for tourism, water sports and fishing
• Positive: Benefitted the tourist industry with reliable water supply (Las Vegas gambling, Grand Canyon water sports etc)
• Positive: Better standard of living in hot, dry climate (air conditioning, swimming pools etc)
• Positive: Greater electricity availability
• Positive: Hoover dam gets 700,000 visitors per year so lots of income from tourism and recreation
• Positive: Increased fresh water supply, improved health and sanitation = less water borne diseases
• Positive: Irrigation providing an increased food supply
• Positive: Dramatic scenery around dams and reservoirs
• Positive: Irrigation allowing double cropping and commercial farming
• Positive: Reliable seasonal water flow for plant and animal life
• Positive: The national recreation area around lake mead has over 250 species of bird
• Positive: In the imperial valley the expansion of irrigated land led to agribusiness style farming
• Positive: Reservoirs provide sanctuaries for water fowl and wading birds like the blue heron
• Positive: Regulation of rivers greatly improves food control on river
• Positive: Irrigation providing an increased food supply