Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into …

Dec 12, 2025 · dam, structure built across a stream, a river, or an estuary to retain water. Dams are built to provide water for human consumption, for irrigating arid and semiarid lands, or for …

Select an inventory below to get started. The National Inventory of Dams includes more than 90,000 dams in the U.S. The Low-Head Dam Inventory includes more than 10,000 low-head …

Oct 22, 2025 · The National Inventory of Dams (NID) documents all known dams in the United States and its territories that meet certain criteria.

Jun 21, 2024 · A dam is a structure built across a stream or river to hold water back. Dams can be used to store water, control flooding, and generate electricity.

Double curvature arch dam. An arch dam, which is curved vertically as well as horizontally. A dam consisting of a watertight part supported at intervals on the downstream side by a series of …

Water is one of our most precious resources; our lives depend on it. Throughout the history of humankind, people have built dams to maximize use of this vital resource. Dams provide a life …

Dec 10, 2025 · Reclamation projects have created a variety of recreation opportunities on the rivers downstream from the dams, including world class whitewater rafting and fishing …

May 30, 2025 · Dams are some of the most important and fascinating structures innovated by human civilization. They help us control water, generate energy, grow food, and protect lives.

In the U.S., more than 16,700 dams are classified as high hazard potential as of August 2024, which means that if one of these dams should fail, the likely result would be loss of life and …