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What is a dam? Are all dams alike?

By The Brazos River Authority

A dam is a structure designed to hold back water in a lake, river, stream or other water body. Dams typically include gates that can be raised or lowered, opened or closed to allow variable amounts of water to pass downstream or leave the lake. The path the water takes to leave the lake through the gates is called a spillway. There are several styles of dams used for different purposes.

An arch dam is made of masonry or concrete that is convex towards the upstream. Its stability depends on the arch, which transfers the water pressure to abutments on each end of the dam. A buttress dam has a watertight face upstream supported by buttresses along its downstream side. A coffer dam is a temporary watertight enclosure that is pumped dry to expose the bottom of a water body so construction can be done. A gravity dam is made of concrete or masonry and depends on its weight for stability. A variation of this is a crib dam, which has chambers made from wood or other material and those chambers are filled with stone or heavy materials. An embankment dam is built of fill material such as earth or rock. It has sloping sides, with a length greater than its height. A weir is a dam in a river or stream that raises the water level for a mill, creating a fish pond or other smaller-scale uses.

About Dams
People build dams to control waterto make sure the right amount is at the right place at the right time. River water rises behind dams, forming artificial lakes called reservoirs. The stored water can be used to generate electricity or to supply water for homes and industries, for irrigation, or for navigation. Reservoirs also are good places to fish and play.

How are dams built?


Engineers use models and computers to figure out how much water a dam will have to support and how big and strong it must be. Then they can decide what sort of dam to design. There are four main types of dams:

Embankment dams are the most common type in the United States. They are massive structures made of earth and rock that rely on their heavy weight to resist the force of the water. A layer of clay or concrete may be used to stop leaks through gaps in the rocks.

Gravity dams are concrete dams that also hold back the water entirely by their own weight. Usually the side of the dam that faces the oncoming water is straight. Most gravity dams are expensive to build because they require so much concrete.

Buttress dams have a series of supports, or buttresses, that brace the dam on the downstream side. Buttress dams may be flat or curved. Most are made of reinforced concrete.

Arch dams are good for narrow, rocky locations. Their curved shape holds back the water in the reservoir. Arch dams are thin and require less material than any other type of dam.

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