Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions.

dam, structure built across a stream, a river, or an estuary to retain water. Dams are built to provide water for human consumption, for irrigating arid and semiarid lands, or for use in industrial processes.

Jun 21, 2024 · A dam is a structure built across a stream or river to hold water back. Dams can be used to store water, control flooding, and generate electricity.

This booklet was created to help answer questions about dams: what purposes they serve, what risks are associated with dams and where you can get info

The National Inventory of Dams (NID) documents all known dams in the United States and its territories that meet certain criteria.

By storing and managing water flow, dams have helped improve agriculture, urban water supply, and power generation, making them critical for economic growth and disaster prevention. Dams serve …

Double curvature arch dam. An arch dam, which is curved vertically as well as horizontally. A dam consisting of a watertight part supported at intervals on the downstream side by a series of …

In the U.S., more than 16,700 dams are classified as high hazard potential as of August 2024, which means that if one of these dams should fail, the likely result would be loss of life and significant …

Jul 23, 2025 · Dams are also called dykes or levees. They are large structures built on flowing water like streams and rivers to stop water flow. The advantages of dams are conserving water and generating …

Think about your impressions of dams and the reservoirs behind them that you have seen. Large concrete dams have grandeur, and the huge lakes that they contain are often sited in attractive …