Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has won 22 olympic medals, more than any other olympic athlete in history – including 18 gold medals, which is double the number of gold medals held by the next most-decorated Olympic athletes.
In Michael Phelps’ career-best olympic races he travelled at up to 2.1 m/s (2008 Olympics, 100 m freestyle, in 47.51 seconds). In the proponent’s flow simulation below (click for a larger view), you’ll note that in several locations, the water speed would be even faster than this (the orange and red colours). And for some reason, this flow simulation doesn’t even show the water speed closer to the tailrace, where this treacherously turbulent water would be:
- Even more concentrated and therefore faster.
- Even closer to the in-water recreational area at the base of the north falls – yet still outside of the floating “safety boom” where one would expect it would be safe to swim.
Also, what this simulation doesn’t show is that since the turbine of a hydro-electric generating station turns at hundreds of revolutions per minute, the water exiting the tailrace would be a churning and agitated boil – impossible for anyone to swim in.
That is, anyone getting near this fast water exiting the proposed generating station would be sure to drown.
The proponent has refused to have this extreme danger evaluated by an organization competent in swimming safety.
Apparently due to political and lobbyist pressure, the Ministry of the Environment did not question this grievous omission. As the Ministry of Natural Resources has specific responsibility to determine that a particular location is suitable for a particular use, we request and expect that the required Location Approval of the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act not be granted, otherwise, it would appear that the government is trying to drown visitors to Bala.