Diversion dam

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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 overall known - is the Ancient Egyptian Sadd Al-Kafara at Wadi Al-Garawi, located about 25 kilometers south of Cairo. Built around 2800^[1] or 2600 B.C.^[2] for flood control, the structure was 102 m long at its base and 87 m wide. It was destroyed by heavy rain during construction^[2] or shortly afterwards.^[1]

The Faraday Diversion Dam, Clackamas River. This dam slows a normally fast and shallow river for partial diversion to a hydroelectric dam. The diversion tunnel opening can be seen in the upper left.

Brush dam, Gila River near Florence, Arizona, c.1919. This temporary dam diverted water into an irrigation canal.

Notes

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