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what is a dam - A dam is a hydraulic structure constructed across a river to store water on its upstream side. It is an impervious or fairly impervious barrier put across a natural stream so that a reservoir is formed.

Advantages of Dams

Dams are advantageous in different aspects. Dams ensure the benefits of improved health and life by supplying clean water, improved quality of sanitation, increased food (crop & fish) production, irrigation supply, protection of lives and goods from flood jeopardy, generation of electricity, tailings of mines and controlling the debris as well as the recreation and environmental benefits of the reservoirs. The detailed advantages of constructing a water dam are described below.

1. Irrigation

   
   
   • For evapotranspiration crops and plants need irrigation. The huge amount of water reserved in dams is used for irrigation. Sustained supply of water for irrigation, encourages peoples to use additional areas for cropping. This enhances the increment of the food supply.
   • Example: Burrinjuck Dam, an irrigation dam of Australia, which was built as the main headwater storage for the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in New South Wales.

2. Drinking-Water

   • A portion of storage is withdrawn from reservoirs and supplied for drinking, municipal and industrial purposes. After proper treatment supplied water can be used for drinking. The water supply through dams enables people to drink pure water. This will prevent people from getting affected by water-borne diseases like cholera.
   • Example: Warragamba, a water supply dam of Australia, supplies water to more than 3.7 million people living in Sydney and the lower Blue Mountains.

3. Electrical Generation

   
   
   • Once constructed, electricity is generated from dams at a constant rate. The budget item of an electricity dam is least as there is no pricey fuel needed. Electricity dams additionally tend to last longer than thermal power plants. Hydropower generation is non-consumptive nature. Also, the resource is renewable and can be used again and again in the downstream for power generation. Thus, the use of stored or diverted waters for hydropower generation is considered most eco-friendly Example: In the United States, over 103,800 megawatts of electricity are produced from dams. Dams can also be formed in the sea where the tidal range is high and thus generate tidal power.
   • Example: Itaipu Dam, a hydropower dam in Brazil, is the largest hydro-electric power station in the world.

4. Flood Control

   • During flood season, the flow of water in the downstream can be controlled by a dam. The reduction of the flood will save the crops and property from being washed away. It also reduces congestion of runoff in plains and coastal lands. Avoiding flood hazards can ensure the sustained economy of the whole country. It can be mentioned as the economic impacts of dams.
   • Example: The Tennessee Valley Authority dams in the U.S.A., help to control floods on the Tennessee, the lower Ohio, and the lower Mississippi Rivers. 

5. Mine Tailings

   • Tailing dams are quite different from water dams. These dams are used to store the waste product from mining operations. Wastes from mining are called tailings. Tailings are very toxic. Dams can be used to store tailings to ensure the protection of the environment from being polluted.
   • There are more than 1,300 mine tailings impoundments in the United States.
   • Mount Polley is a mine tailing dump of British Columbia, Canada.

6. Water Storage

   • The storage of water in reservoirs can be beneficial in many aspects. Upstream water ponds can be used for fish farming which can reduce the damage that has been done to the fish habitat due to the construction of the water dam.
   • Example: Corin Dam is a Water Storage dam of Australia which has a capacity of 19.9×109 gal

7. Navigation

   • Dams and locks provide for a stable system of inland river transportation throughout the heartland of the Nation.
   • Bonneville Dam of Washington, USA is a river navigation dam.

8. Environment Friendly

   • Reduce the emission of greenhouse gas e.g. carbon dioxide (CO2). Tailing dams help to protect the environment from getting contaminated by toxic mining wastes.

9. Debris Control

   • Debris flows, often the result of environmental degradation in mountainous areas can be an extreme geological catastrophe. Detention dams are used to control the flow of hazardous materials and sediments.

10. Recreation

    • Dam areas can be used for recreation purposes. Boating, skiing, camping, picnic areas, and boat launch facilities are all supported by water dams.
    • Scrivener Dam is a recreation dam of Canberra, Australia.

Disadvantages of Dam:

Exact the opposite of advantages, dams also have some negative effects. One must know the problems of dams to have a clear idea on the effects of dams on humans, society, and environment.  of dams such as:

1. Submergence Problem: A large area gets submerged due to the rise in the water levels and turned into a reservoir. The owners of those lands have to be relocated, adequately compensated, and well settled somewhere else. This requires an extra budget for planning a dam construction.
2. Failure of Dams: Dam failures may be caused either due to many reasons. Neglecting possible forces or unexpected forces is the main reason for the failure. The faulty design or occurrence of unanticipated floods can also be the cause of failure. Not maintaining proper guidelines during design and construction is also a reason for dam failures. Dams may sometimes fail due to excessive and unanticipated earthquakes. The failure of dams can bring enormous hazards to the life of people in that locality.
3. Water wastage: Sometimes water used in excess of evapotranspiration requirements. This water appears in the system as surface or groundwater. But it degrades in quality, mainly due to fertilizers and pesticides, besides minerals drawn from soils. Such waste has to be minimized.
4. Life cycles of habitats living in the water (like fish) get affected due to the construction of dams. Their life cycles are adapted to natural river habitat and flow regimes. By altering the flow, the physical surroundings are altered.
5. Cycles and variation of flow downstream are established.
6. Standing water (reservoir) habitats replace flowing water habitats.
7. Nutrients are unable to procedure downstream.
8. Coastal erosion is enhanced because of the loss of debris transportation.
9. Productivity and species diversity of waterways are often reduced because of the reduction of fresh flow.
10. A reduction in diversity happens.

We hope this article enlightens dam problems and solutions. We also hope that policymakers will consider environmental problems caused by dams during the construction of future dams.

Advantages of Dams

Dams serve a variety of functions and provide numerous benefits to local areas and industry. They are primarily used to store water, control flooding and generate electricity. Many dams serve to store water to function as standing lakes. In general, dams provide various advantages for communities but still other disadvantages.

In general, dams are important structures that are constructed for the purpose of water storage. The water held by dams, generally from a channel, can later be used for generating electricity and used for irrigation purposes. Dams are also critical in flood control. 

How Are Dams Constructed?

One of the most well known dams, Hoover Dam, was constructed to provide irrigation water to local communities as well as to control floods and generate hydroelectricity. The federal government authorized construction of Hoover Dam, which spans 30 miles across the Nevada-Arizona border. Its large structure depicts the various advantages that dams have for local areas. 

A dam is a structure commonly built across a river or stream to create a large reservoir behind it. There are various types of dam spillways and operational dam gates that help control the flow of water.

With dam engineering there are different categories to consider for construction including structural type, usage and materials required. Construction of dams is complex. Dam projects require substantial labor, materials, and other resources. Knowing how dams work can provide clarity to how they&#;re constructed. Steps take to build dams include:

• Building up an area to help divert water in order to properly create structure. Engineers usually implement tunneling systems to help in diverting water from existing rivers.

• Creating a foundation is the next step in construction of dams.

  Cofferdams

  are one type of dam that can help in the layout of the structure. 

• Assembling the overall structure of the dam is next. During this process, dam construction contractors ensure there is no loose rock on the riverbed, then work to build a plinth. This keeps water from leaking from the ledges of the dam. Majority of dams use reinforcements with concrete steel to protect against water flow. 

• Once a dam has been fully constructed, dam contractors will fill the reservoir. During this process, testing of flood gates is critical.

Advantages of Dams

Dams are advantageous in many ways. In engineering, dams function to store vast amounts of water in flooding and even for recreational purposes. 

Many other factors to consider when weighing the advantages of dams include: improved health and life by supplying clean water, improved quality of sanitation, increased food (crop & fish) production, irrigation supply, protection of lives and goods from flooding, generation of electricity, tailings of mines and controlling the debris as well as the recreation and environmental benefits of the reservoirs. 

Why Are Dams Advantageous?

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As a water source, dams have many advantages and applications. The application of dams can include cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing, drinking water, farming and for other cultivation purposes.

When there&#;s excess flow of water, dams help by storing water in reservoirs. Dams also function to release water during times of low flow when natural streams are inadequate to meet demands. All purposes are kept in mind when constructing dams. Some functions of dams can include:

Irrigation

Dams help crops and plants through evapotranspiration. With large quantities of water stored in dams, they can be easily used for irrigation. This helps communities plan farming and nurturing crops accordingly, further enhancing food supply.

Some examples of dams used for irrigation include Burrinjuck Dam in Australia. 

Drinking Water

A portion of water storage in dams and reservoirs is supplied for drinking, municipal and industrial purposes. After water treatment, it can be used for drinking. This can help ensure that people are drinking pure water, preventing diseases like cholera. 

An example dam used for drinking water supply is also in Australia known as Warragamba. 

Electrical Generation

One of the staples of dams and major industry advantages is dam usage in hydropower and electrical generation. There are several environmental advantages of hydroelectric power including its flexibility, affordability, and the perks of being a renewable resource.

Once constructed, a dam can generate constant electricity. There&#;s no fuel requirements to produce this electricity. Dams used in hydropower also last longer than thermal power plants. The resource is renewable given that it can be used repeatedly downstream for power generation. Hydropower can be stored or diverted and is one of the most eco-friendly means of producing power. One example of this is the 103,800 megawatts of electricity produced by dams in the United States alone. Itaipu Dam is a hydropower site in Brazil with one of the world&#;s largest productions of power. 

Use In Flood Control

As mentioned previously, during flood seasons, dams can be used to control the flow of water by either reducing floods to help manage wash aways. It can also reduce congestion of water.

In the United States, flood zones in Tennessee, southern Ohio, and the lower Mississippi Rivers are controlled by Tennessee Valley Authority dams.  

Water Storage

Reservoirs have many beneficial features including the most pronounced of being a source of water storage. Upstream water ponds can be used for fish farms, further reducing damage to fish habitats during dam construction. 

Environmentally Friendly

One of the major advantages of dams is their eco-friendly features. Because dams use a renewable resource, they help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide. Additionally, tailing dams help protect the environment from toxic mining wastes. 

Recreational Purposes

Dams can also serve as a recreational activity. Several dams throughout the United States are known to provide an area for boating, skiing, campaign, picnics, and boat launches. 

Dam Construction with Gracon LLC

Dams are classified according to the type of construction material being used, the slope or cross-section of the dam, and the way the dam resists the forces of the water pressure behind it, the means used for controlling seepage, and what the dam&#;s purpose may be. There are various types of dams to consider and the advantages of each. 

Gracon LLC are dam experts in construction, maintenance and rehabilitation. We work to ensure that each dam project is given the opportunity to capitalize on the advantages of dams listed above, plus numerous others. For more information on our dam construction and processes contact us today.

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