Impact assessment on water harvesting and valley dams

Abstract

Gravity dam is one of the biggest structures built on the Earth. It is known as a life line structure, as it serves the purpose of irrigation, hydro-electric power generation, flood control, domestic and industrial water supply etc., which are important for human existence. This makes dam as a reliable structure. For this reason, dam should always be designed for highest safety. Dam is one of the hydraulic structures constructed to serve particular functions. It is a water control feature to impound water supply, to divert water from a water course, or to raise the elevation for water body. In supplying the water to the consumers, a dam holds it from flowing into the pipe, tunnel and conduit. Earth fill dams are a good alternative to dugouts where larger volumes of water must be stored at a reasonable cost and suitable site conditions exist. Proper design and construction is essential for dams; otherwise they will fail from washouts or seepage losses. If water quantity is your main priority, then a dam could be the best option. If better water quality is the important factor, a dugout is probably a better option. Take the time to properly plan, construct, inspect and maintain your dam, and it will be a valuable water resource for your farm for many years to come. However, poor management of dams can cause problems and disasters in terms of safety of dam and how it affects the people and the environment. This study focuses for conducts how the design, operator and maintenance of dam to be ensure it is safety.