Barrage (dam)
Encyclopedia
A barrage is a type of dam
which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing the dam. The gates are set between flanking piers which are responsible for supporting the water load. They are often used to control and stabilize water flow of rivers for irrigation systems.
According to the World Commission on Dams
, a key difference between a barrage and a dam is that a dam is built for storing water in a reservoir
, which raises the level of water significantly. A barrage is built for diverting water, and is generally built on flat terrain across wide meander
ing rivers, raising the water level only a few feet. Barrages are larger than headworks
.
Barrages that are commonly used to dam a lagoon or estuary as a method to capture tidal power
from tidal inflows are known as tidal barrage
s.
Dam
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 are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing the dam. The gates are set between flanking piers which are responsible for supporting the water load. They are often used to control and stabilize water flow of rivers for irrigation systems.
According to the World Commission on Dams
World Commission on Dams
The World Commission on Dams was formed in April 1997, to research the environmental, social and economic impacts of the development of large dams globally...
, a key difference between a barrage and a dam is that a dam is built for storing water in a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, which raises the level of water significantly. A barrage is built for diverting water, and is generally built on flat terrain across wide meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
ing rivers, raising the water level only a few feet. Barrages are larger than headworks
Headworks
Headworks is a civil engineering term for any structure at the head or diversion point of a waterway. It is smaller than a barrage and is used to divert water from a river into a canal or from a large canal into a smaller canal....
.
Barrages that are commonly used to dam a lagoon or estuary as a method to capture tidal power
Tidal power
Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....
from tidal inflows are known as tidal barrage
Tidal barrage
A tidal barrage is a dam-like structure used to capture the energy from masses of water moving in and out of a bay or river due to tidal forces....
s.