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Healthy Forests Provide Clean and Abundant Water

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14 Jun, 2024

This post was originally published on Healthy Forest

Active forest management plays a crucial role in protecting clean water supplies, particularly in regions vulnerable to wildfires and water scarcity, such as Arizona and California. For decades, passive management across the west has contributed to unnaturally thick forests that increase severe wildfire risks and impact water availability.

Wildfire Risks in Overgrown Forests
In thick forests, wildfires tend to burn hotter and more destructively, consuming everything in their path and leaving the soil exposed and vulnerable to erosion. Without vegetation to hold the soil together, rainfall can wash ash and debris into rivers and reservoirs, compromising water quality and reducing storage capacity. Additionally, the infrastructure downstream, such as dams and water treatment plants, can suffer significant damage from the influx of debris.

Water Usage by Forests
Overgrown forests not only pose a fire hazard but also consume vast amounts of water. Trees and undergrowth take up water from the ground, reducing the amount available for aquifers and downstream flows. By contrast, research suggests thinning the forest can significantly reduce this water uptake.

Innovative Use of LiDAR Technology
A partnership between the Salt River Project (SRP) and Arizona State University (ASU) employed LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to gather detailed data on forest density and water usage. LiDAR sensors, mounted on planes and helicopters, provide high-resolution scans of forest areas, allowing researchers to accurately count trees and estimate their water consumption. This precise data enables the development of effective forest management strategies tailored to maximize water conservation.

Pilot Project in Kaibab National Forest
A pilot project in the Kaibab National Forest exemplifies the potential benefits of forest thinning. By thinning approximately 3,400 acres, researchers estimated an increase of about 230 acre-feet, or nearly 75 million gallons, of water in the first year alone. Considering that one acre-foot can supply water for three Arizona families for a year, this increase represents a significant contribution to the region’s water supply.

Long-Term Benefits of Forest Thinning
Thinning forests to a more natural state, with fewer but larger trees, can lead to numerous long-term benefits. Reduced tree density allows more water to remain in the ground or flow into tributaries, recharging springs and rivers. It also decreases fire danger, promoting healthier, more resilient forests. This balance between tree growth and water availability can create a more sustainable ecosystem.

Water Savings for California
The implications of forest thinning extend beyond Arizona. A 2011 study by experts from UC Merced, UC Berkeley, and the Environmental Defense Fund suggests significant water conservation potential in California. The study found that reducing forest cover by 40% could increase total runoff by 9%, potentially adding 2.2 million acre-feet of water to California’s supply annually. This highlights the broader applicability of forest thinning as a water management strategy.

Active forest management, through practices like forest thinning, offers substantial benefits for water conservation and wildfire risk reduction. Innovations in data collection and analysis, such as the use of LiDAR technology, enable more precise and effective management strategies. As demonstrated by the SRP and ASU’s efforts, thinning overgrown forests can enhance water availability, protect infrastructure, and promote healthier ecosystems. By adopting similar practices, other regions can also reap the benefits of improved forest and water management.

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Source: Healthy Forest

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ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB has gained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) status for its Gearless Mill Drive (GMD) ring motor — technology used to drive large grinding mills in the mining industry.

An EPD is a standardised document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, the EPD highlights ABB’s commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility and supporting customers in making informed decisions on sustainability in their supply chains.

ABB analysed the environmental impact of a ring motor across its entire life cycle from supply chain and production to usage and end-of-life disposal. The study was conducted for a ring motor of a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill with an installed power of 24 MW and was based on a reference service life of 25 years.

“Sustainability is at the core of our purpose at ABB, influencing how we operate and innovate for customers,” said Andrea Quinta, Sustainability Specialist at ABB. “By earning the Environmental Product Declaration for our ring motor, we emphasise our environmental stewardship and industry leadership for this technology. We adhered to the highest standards throughout this process, as we do in the ABB Ring Motor factory every day. This recognition highlights to the mining industry what they are bringing into their own operations when they work with ABB.”

The comprehensive LCA was conducted at ABB’s factory in Bilbao, Spain, and was externally verified and published in accordance with international standards ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044. It will remain valid for five years.

The ring motor, a key component of the GMD, is a drive system without any gears where the transmission of the torque between the motor and the mill is done through the magnetic field in the air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor. It optimises grinding applications in the minerals and mining industries by enabling variable-speed operation, leading to energy and cost savings.

The full EPD for the ABB GMD Ring Motor can be viewed on EPD International.

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