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Use this tool to determine means and standard deviations

Questions:

  1. There are 8 major hydro electric dams on the Columbia + Snake River that are thought to impeded the bulk of the salmon flow. These dams are 1) Bonneville, 2) The Dalles, 3) John Day, 4) McNary, 5) Ice Harbor, 6) Lower Monumental, 7) Little Goose and 8) Lower Granite.

      a) Research and report on the the total hydroelectric generating power of these combined 8 dams. This total power is called nameplate capacity and is measured in units of MegaWatts (MW). If you multiply that nameplate capacity by 8760 then that's the total amount of energy produced in one year (in units of MegaWatt hours per year)

      b) Using this resource for the State Electricity profiles calculate the contribution of the first 4 dams to the total percentage of Electricity Generation for Washington and Oregon.

      c) Dams 5-8 only benefit Washington State. What is the extra percentag contribution of the existence of these 4 dams to the total electricity profile of Washington State?

  2. Over the last few years there has been significant increases in wind power/energy facilities in Washington and Oregon.

      a) Do some online research and determine the rate of wind energy growth in Oregon and Washington over the last 5 years (make sure you include your supporting data)

      b) From that rate predict the installed wind capacity in both WA and OR in the year 2017 (show your process)

      c) Remembering that the wind doesn't blow all of the time while stream flow does occur all of the time (but at reduced rates during dry times) write a 150 word "Blog" style argument on the feasibility of removing some of these dams because of available repacement wind poewr.


  3. You have been assigned by your company, "Progress 'R Us" to study if there has been a decline in recent years of Adult Chinook salmon at the McNary Dam and if there is a mortality rate of this species between The Dalles Dam and the McNary Dam.

    You have the follwing raw data to work with (from HERE ) -- the data are actual fish counts at the Dam.

    Using this data answer the questions that are posed below the data table.

    Year  Dalles    McNary
    2014	772107	605907
    2013	757403	582908
    2012	413376	341652
    2011	440862	388058
    2010	543241	471747
    2009	350717	232094
    2008 	331468 	224684
    2007 	187015 	129062
    2006 	312102 	197539
    2005 	363993 	249633
    2004 	511767 	342302
    2003 	546394 	368345
    2002 	540173 	380976
    2001 	556690 	437120
    2000 	253067 	152763
    1999 	171079 	106891
    1998 	133619  99432
    1997 	207552 	145958
    1996 	154044 	101616
    1995 	108980 	 84692
    1994 	136288 	107889
    1993 	172655 	133097
    1992 	141347 	111723
    1991 	116181 	 82636
    1990 	174773 	121159
    1989 	252848 	151486
    1988 	308355 	184870
    1987 	356113 	237200
    1986 	266175 	207819
    1985 	223400 	161401
    1984 	132990 	102675
    1983 	114855  	91905
    1982 	112517  	69246
    1981 	101257  	63427
    1980 	93935   	63215
    1979 	107737  	69756
    1978 	167434 	123542
    1977 	169886 	128363
    1976 	126200  	80900
    1975 	142900  	83400
    1974 	137400  	93300
    1973 	208900 	148500
    1972 	187000 	146700
    1971 	165100 	134000
    1970 	175900 	136000
    1969 	215300 	173600
    1968 	198300 	155400
    1967 	181400 	146500
    1966 	204200 	179700
    1965 	127400 	101600
    1964 	153000 	138600
    1963 	125800 	110500
    1962 	169200 	133800
    1961 	201300 	131800
    1960 	196900 	154300
    1959 	207500 	171500
    1958 	301900 	226100
    1957 	312700 	292700
    


      a) Enter the data into the chart tool (you can minimize typing by just entering the data in units of thousands so instead of entering 312700 just enter 312 or 313 if you want to round up) and comment on the ensuing pattern of the data that you notice.

      b) Compute the means and standard deviations over the entire data period (1957-2013) and use the Z-test to show that the Counts at McNary Dam are significantly lower than at the Dalles Dam.

      c) For just the Dalles Dam counts: Compute the average and standard deviation of the counts between the period 2001- 2013 and from 1957-1999. Use the Z-test to determine if there is a significant difference between these two time periods.

      d)From the result you just got above, what does this tell you about the relation between dams and decreasing salmon in the Columbia River system. Offer a data informed opinion and not your personal opinion.

      e) Compared to the 2001-2013 period (again Dalles Dam) are the low counts observed in 2007 statistically significant? If so, what factors in that year do you think might have caused this (temporary) decline (do some research to support your statements)