Major Funding The Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation



Dams: Glossary

B

barrier
anything that blocks something from moving
buttress
wall

C

canyon
a steep sided valley caused by the movement of river water
complex
complicated
concrete
stone-like material used for construction

E

earthen
made of earth materials such as rocks, sand, soil
engineers
a person trained to design construction

F

flooding
excess water
foundation
the underlying base

G

generator
a machine or device that turns mechanical energy into electricity
glacial ice
ice found in glaciers

H

horizontal
level with the ground
hydroelectric
electricity created with the use of water

I

ingenuity
cleverness or creativity in problem-solving
irrigation
water moved from one place to another to grow crops

K

keyways
grooves

L

landslides
land that shifts or slides due to water, earthquakes or other events

N

notches
grooves

P

potential energy
the stored energy that an object or substance has because of its position or state
pressure
pushing

R

recreation
activities done for fun - swimming, skiing, fishing
regulated
to control or direct
renewable
able to be replenished over time; cannot be used up
reservoir
a body of water that builds up behind a dam

S

sediment
the rock, sand and dirt that are carried by a river
spillway
a structure or channel designed to release water from behind a dam

T

turbines
a machine used to create electricity through the use of moving water

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