Dams - Dam, Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity, Spillway, Dam Removal, Arch Dam, Bunding, Weir, Floodgate, Fish Ladder, Sand Dam, Splash Dam (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 43. Chapters: Dam, Pumped-storage hydroelectricity, Spillway, Dam removal, Arch dam, Bunding, Weir, Floodgate, Fish ladder, Sand dam, Splash dam, Landslide dam, Embankment dam, Arch-gravity dam, Inflatable rubber dam, Stepped spillway, Steel dam, Flood barrier, Tainter gate, Bridgeport Reservoir, California, Cofferdam, Coupure, Milldam, Buttress dam, Diversion dam, Eel ladder, Outlet works, Wing dam, Fuse plug, Internal erosion, Volcanic dam, United States Society on Dams, Dry dam, Barrage, Needle dam, Avalanche dam, Masonry dam. Excerpt: A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. 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. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations. The sizable Roman Harbaqa Dam in Syria is 21 m (69 ft) high and 365 m (1,198 ft) long. The Roman dam at Cornalvo in Spain has been in use for almost two millennia. Grand Anicut dam on river Kaveri in Tamil Nadu, South India (19th century on 1st-2nd century foundation)The word dam can be traced back to Middle English, and before that, from Middle Dutch, as seen in the names of many old cities. Early dam building took place in Mesopotamia and the Middle East. Dams were used to control the water level, for Mesopotamia's weather affected the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and could be quite unpredictable. The earliest known dam is the Jawa Dam in Jordan, 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of the capital Amman. This gravity dam featured a 4.5 m (15 ft) high and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) wide stone wall, supported by a 50 m (160 f...