Grade-stabilization Dams
Most flood control dams serve two main purposes: flood control
and grade stabilization. They also trap sediment but this is
not a major objective. Flood control dams are built with the
capacity to store the runoff from a ten- to fifty- year storm.
This flood water passes from the storage pool by means of a
principal spillway, usually a pipe thru the dam, over a period
of several days. Runoff in excess of that from the designed
storm passes immediately over an emergency spillway- usually a
grassd waterway. Some flood control dams in dry and windy
areas rarely contain any water but must have large capacities
to control flash floods.
Flood Control Dams
Most flood control dams serve two main purposes: flood control
and grade stabilization. They also trap sediment but this is
not a major objective. Flood control dams are built with the
capacity to store the runoff from a ten- to fifty- year storm.
This flood water passes from the storage pool by means of a
principal spillway, usually a pipe thru the dam, over a period
of several days. Runoff in excess of that from the designed
storm passes immediately over an emergency spillway- usually a
grassd waterway. Some flood control dams in dry and windy
areas rarely contain any water but must have large capacities
to control flash floods.