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Dams and Reservoirs

Overview of Dams and Reservoirs
From Amanda Briney

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hydrologic cycle dams water reservoirs rivers

Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in Arizona. Bruce Heinemann/Getty Images
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A dam is any barrier that holds back water; dams are primarily used to save, manage, and/or prevent the flow of excess water into specific regions. In addition, some dams are used to generate hydropower. This article examines man-made dams but dams can also be created by natural causes like mass wasting events or even animals like the beaver. Another term often used when discussing dams is reservoir. A reservoir is a man-made lake that is primarily used for storing water. They can also be defined as the specific bodies of water formed by the construction of a dam. For example, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Californias Yosemite National Park is the body of water created and held back by the OShaughnessy Dam. Types of Dams Today, there are several different types of dams and the man-made ones are classified by their size and structure. Typically a large dam is classified as being higher than 50-65 feet (15-20 meters) while major dams are those over 492-820 feet (150-250 meters).

One of the most common types of major dams is the arch dam. These masonry or concrete dams are ideal for narrow and/or rocky locations because their curved shape easily holds back water via gravity without the need for a lot of construction materials. Arch dams can have one large single arch or they can have multiple small arches separated by concrete buttresses. The Hoover Dam which is on the border of the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada is an arch dam. Another type of dam is the buttress dam. These can have multiple arches, but unlike a traditional arch dam, they can be flat as well. Normally buttress dams are made of concrete and feature a series braces called buttresses along the downstream side of the dam to prevent the natural flow of water. The Daniel-Johnson Dam in Quebec, Canada is a multiple arch buttress dam. In the U.S., the most common type of dam is the embankment dam. These are large dams made out of soil and rock which use their weight to hold back water. To prevent water from moving through them, embankment dams also have a thick waterproof core. The Tarbela Dam in Pakistan is the worlds largest embankment dam. Finally, gravity dams are huge dams that are constructed to hold back water using only their own weight. To do this, they are constructed using extensive amounts of concrete, making them difficult and expensive to build. The Grand Coulee Dam in the U.S. state of Washington is a gravity dam. Types of Reservoirs and Construction Like dams, there are different types of reservoirs as well but they are classified based on their use. The three types are called: a valley dammed reservoir, a bank-side reservoir, and a service reservoir. Bank-side reservoirs are those formed when water is taken from an existing stream or river and stored in a nearby reservoir. Service reservoirs are mainly constructed to store water for later use. They often appear as water towers and other elevated structures. The first and usually largest type of reservoir is called a valley dammed reservoir. These are reservoirs that are located in narrow valley areas where tremendous amounts of water can be held in by

the valleys sides and a dam. The best location for a dam in these types of reservoirs is where it can be built into the valley wall most effectively to form a water tight seal. To construct a valley dammed reservoir, the river must be diverted, usually through a tunnel, at the start of work. The first step in creating this type of reservoir is the pouring of a strong foundation for the dam, after which construction on the dam itself can begin. These steps can take months to years to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the project. Once finished, the diversion is removed and the river is able to flow freely toward the dam until it gradually fills the reservoir. Dam Controversy In addition to the high cost of construction and river diversion, dams and reservoirs are often controversial projects because of their social and environmental impacts. Dams themselves affect many different ecological components of rivers such as fish migrations, erosion, changes in water temperature and therefore changes in oxygen levels, creating inhospitable environments for many species. In addition, the creation of a reservoir requires the flooding of large areas of land, at the expense of the natural environment and sometimes villages, towns and small cities. The construction of Chinas Three Gorges Dam, for example, required the relocation of over one million people and flooded many different archaeological and cultural sites. Main Uses of Dams and Reservoirs Despite their controversy, dams and reservoirs serve a number of different functions but one of the largest is to maintain an areas water supply. Many of the worlds largest urban areas are supplied with water from rivers that are blocked via dams. San Francisco, California for example, gets the majority of its water supply from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir via the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct running from Yosemite to the San Francisco Bay Area. Another major use of dams is power generation as hydroelectric power is one of the worlds major sources of electricity. Hydropower is generated when the potential energy of the water on the dam drives a water turbine which in then turns a generator and creates

electricity. To best make use of the waters power, a common type of hydroelectric dam uses reservoirs with different levels to adjust the amount of energy generated as it is needed. When demand is low for instance, water is held in an upper reservoir and as demand increases, the water is released into a lower reservoir where it spins a turbine. Some other important uses of dams and reservoirs include a stabilization of water flow and irrigation, flood prevention, water diversion and recreation. To learn more about dams and reservoirs visit PBS's Dams Site.