- Gravity dam
- A dam that resists water pressure through its own weight.
- Arch dam
- A curved dam that transfers the water thrust to the valley sides.
- Buttress dam
- A thin wall supported downstream by a series of buttresses.
- Earthfill dam
- An embankment of compacted soil, often with a watertight core.
- Rockfill dam
- An embankment of rock blocks with a watertight core or face.
- Spillway
- A structure that releases excess water without damaging the dam.
- Crest
- The top of the dam.
- Reservoir
- The body of water held back by the dam.
- Penstock
- A pipe that carries pressurised water to the turbines.
- Intake
- The structure through which water is drawn from the reservoir.
- Bottom outlet
- An outlet used to lower or empty the reservoir.
- Freeboard
- The height between the water level and the dam crest.
- Catchment
- The land area whose water drains towards the dam.
- Abutment
- The valley side against which the dam rests.
- Foundation
- The ground on which the dam rests.
- Cofferdam
- A temporary dam that keeps the works dry during construction.
- Stilling basin
- A basin at the foot of the spillway that calms the flow.
- Fish ladder
- A passage that lets fish get past the structure.
- Sedimentation
- Sediment build-up that reduces reservoir capacity.
- Pumped storage plant (PSP)
- Two reservoirs: water is pumped up off-peak and released through turbines at peak.
- Run-of-river scheme
- Little storage: the natural river flow is run through the turbines.
- Design flood
- The extreme flood the structure must be able to pass safely.
- Tailings dam
- A dam that retains the waste of a mining operation.