What´s a dam?

A dam is the accumulation of water caused by a blockage in the bed of a river or stream that partially or fully closed track.

 Channel obstruction can occur by natural causes such as the collapse of a hillside in a stretch of river. The accumulation of ice sheets or buildings made by beavers, and man-made works.

 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS :

-Silt accumulation. 

-Changes in water quality of the reservoir and the river. downstream.

-Large losses of fish.

-Limitation of storage capacity of the river.

-Are increased water-related diseases (such as malaria, schistosomiasis)

-Health problems.

-Competition for resources.

-Social conflicts 

-Negative environmental impacts to the watershed, the reservoir and the downstream river valley.

-Flooded areas

VOLUMES OF A DAM

Death volume: Volume stored up to the minimum level.

Useful volume: This between the minimum and the maximum.

Volume rolling: Is between the maximum and the maximum normal level. This volume is used to reduce the flow and to limit damage downstream.

 USES OF A DAM

Basically a reservoir created by a dam, which disrupts the natural flow of a river, made ​​available to the operator of the reservoir storage volume potential that can be used for multiple purposes, some other complementary and mutually conflicting, provides reservoir operator is also a potential energy resulting from the lifting of the water level.

For applications that require maximizing the reservoir is as full as possible, ensuring a more regularized flow. These uses include power generation, irrigation, drinking water supply or industrial, dilution of pollutants. By contrast, for flood control reservoir will be more efficient as more vacuum is at the moment it receives a drag.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DAMS

The main physical characteristics of a reservoir are bound-volume curves, curve-surface elevation and flow regularized flooded.

Depending on the characteristics of the valley, if this is wide open, flood areas can occupy densely populated areas or fertile agricultural areas.

And finally I leave you a very nice picture of a dam :)

-I decided to publish on the blog dams because I think that they are a very important part of hydropower. 

PS: I hope you liked the new blog design :)

Silvia