Diversion dam
A diversion dam is the term for a dam that diverts all or a portion of the flow of a river from its natural course. Diversion dams do not generally impound water in a reservoir. Instead, the water is diverted into an artificial water course or canal, which may be used for irrigation or return to the river after passing through hydroelectric generators, flow into a different river or be itself dammed forming a reservoir.
The earliest diversion dam - and the second oldest dam of any kind known - is the Ancient Egyptian Sadd-el-Kafara Dam at Wadi Al-Garawi, located about 25 km south of Cairo. Built around 2600 BC for flood control, the structure was 102 m long at its base and 87 m wide. It was destroyed by a flood while still under construction.[1][2]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Günther Garbrecht: "Wasserspeicher (Talsperren) in der Antike", Antike Welt, 2nd special edition: Antiker Wasserbau (1986), pp.51-64 (52f.)
- ^ Mohamed Bazza (28-30). "Overview of the History of Water Resources and Irrigation Management in the Near East Region" (PDF). http://www.fao.org/world/Regional/RNE/morelinks/Publications/English/HYSTORY-OF-WATER-RESOURCES.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
 |
This architecture-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
