Hydrostatic pressure in a fluid is based on the fluid’s depth. You’ll rarely see a more dramatic example of that power than with a water release from a dam. Here Keep reading
Tag: dams
Renewing the Colorado River
The Glen Canyon Dam lies on the Colorado River, upstream of the Grand Canyon. Because the dam blocks sediment from upstream, the region’s only sediment sources are two tributary rivers Keep reading
How Spillways Work
Human infrastructure like dams have the challenge of standing up to whatever nature can throw at them. It’s expensive, if not outright impossible, to build to every single contingency, so Keep reading
Dam Failure
In a recent video, Practical Engineering tackles an important and often-overlooked challenge in civil engineering: dam failure. At its simplest, a levee or dam is a wall built to hold Keep reading
Spillways
Extensive rains in California have brought an unusual sight to Lake Berryessa – an overflowing spillway. The upper photo, taken in 2010, shows the concrete structure of the spillway’s entrance, Keep reading
How Dams Affect Rivers
This video shows how the installation of a dam can affect river flow and sediment transport. Before the dam is added, the flow is shallow and the sediment transport is Keep reading