While I understand the concern about accumulated nutrient buildup in the sediment upstream of the Conowingo Dam posing a hazard to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, as an engineer I do not see what the operation of the dam's power station has anything to do with it ("Maryland can enforce dam cleanup," Nov. 19).
Water flows down the river and is captured behind the dam where it drops sediment before passing through the dam's turbines or over the dam's spillways. Either way, a storm surge will pass the dam carrying some of this sediment to the Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, denying the power company a license renewal will have no effect on bay pollution.
Have I missed something?
Sidney Rankin, Baltimore