Earthen dam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An Earthen dam, or earth-fill dam, is a dam constructed as a simple embankment of well-compacted earth, sometimes with a watertight concrete or clay core or upstream face, or sometimes with a hydraulic fill to produce a watertight core. A type of temporary earth dam occasionally used in high latitudes is the frozen-core dam, in which a coolant is circulated through pipes inside the dam to maintain a watertight region of permafrost within it.
Because earth dams can be constructed from materials found on-site or nearby, earth dams can be very cost-effective in regions where the cost of producing or bringing in concrete would be prohibitive.
A well-known (and catastrophic) earth dam was the Teton Dam, that collapsed in 1976.
[edit] Gallery
 An example of an Earthen Dam Waterfall Face. Here you can see the effects of weathering on its face. Its Environmental impact is comparable to that of a beaver dam. |
 This picture was taken from the Waterfall face at the middle to show how weathering impacts the structure of an Earthen Dam. In this example, habitat is created in this area by the amount of water. Algae (in view towards bottom of photo) is common to grow beside this spot where the water is slower. |
 This picture was taken from the top of an Earthen Dam looking down, giving you a better idea of the structure and how weathering affects the rock material over time. |
 This picture was taken from the top of an Earthen Dam looking to the side, giving you a better idea of the structure and how weathering affects the rock material over time. |
 This picture was taken from the top of an Earthen Dam, looking away from the waterfall from its edge to give an example of what an Earthen Dam looks like from its surface and how weathering affects the rock material over time. Because of weathering, grass and trees grow in the cracks in spring. |
