A reservoir is an artificial lake used to store water. Reservoirs are often created by building a reinforced dam, usually out of concrete, earth, rock, or a mixture across a river or stream. Once the dam is completed, the stream fills the reservoir. When a reservoir is predominantly man-made (rather than being an adaptation of a natural basin) it may be called a cistern. The term reservoir is also often used to describe underground reservoirs suc...
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A reservoir is an artificial lake used to store water. Reservoirs are often created by building a reinforced dam, usually out of concrete, earth, rock, or a mixture across a river or stream. Once the dam is completed, the stream fills the reservoir. When a reservoir is predominantly man-made (rather than being an adaptation of a natural basin) it may be called a cistern. The term reservoir is also often used to describe underground reservoirs such as an oil or water well.
The more common dam across a valley relies on naturally formed features to form the water tight elements. Generally, engineers look for dam sites which are narrow with a broad area upstream; the valley sides can then act as natural walls and the broad area upstream makes a large reservoir for the height. The best place along the valley for building a dam has to be determined according to where the dam can best be tied into the valley walls and floor to form a water tight seal. If necessary, humans have to be re...
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