From the course: Practical Engineering
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Dangers of low head dams
From the course: Practical Engineering
Dangers of low head dams
- Dams serve a wide variety of purposes from hydropower, to flood control, to storage of water for municipal and industrial uses. But when a dam's useful purpose fades away, the structure itself still remains. Dams come in all shapes and sizes, but contrary to what you might think, the most dangerous dams are often the smallest. Hey, I'm Grady and this is Practical Engineering. On today's episode, we're talking about the dangers of low head dams. (upbeat chase music) (lighthearted chime music) A low head dam sometimes something simply called a weir is a small structure that impounds a small amount of water across the width of a river or stream. Usually made from concrete, the purpose of low head dams is to raise the water level upstream on a river. This can assist with navigation of the channel by boat, create a drop for generating hydropower, and make water available at intakes for water supply and irrigation.…
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