Comment Re:Secondary effects? (Score 3, Insightful) 113
IANAFM also, but yes, I'd expect to see slower water, as we have extracted energy from it. With care, this need not be a bad thing - for example, groins have been constructed on parts of the Thames to slow the water near the banks, encouraging scour of the main shipping channel. Erect a vortex generator instead of groins and you can control flow and generate electricity. Downside is it may become too successful, and the silting could interfere with operation.