| A | B |
|---|
| dam | A barrier built, usually across a watercourse, for impounding or diverting the flow of water. |
| drainage area | An area that drains naturally to a particular point on a stream. |
| inflow | The movement of water into a reservior behind a dam. |
| drawdown | The lowering of a reservoir's water surface elevation due to release of water. |
| fill dams | Any dam constructed of excavated natural materials or industrial waste materials. |
| coffer dams | A temporary structure enclosing all or part of a construction area so the construction can proceed in a dry area. |
| spillway | A structure over or through which flood flows are discharged |
| diverson tunnels | Routes water around the construction site of a dam. |
| high scalers | Workers whose job was to climb down canyon walls on ropes to remove loose and weakened rocks along the canyon walls where the dam walls would join. |
| abutment | The part of a valley side (wall) against which a dam is constructed. |
| core wall | A wall built of impervious material, usually steel, concrete or asphaltic concrete, in the body of an embankment dam to prevent leakage. |
| flood gate | A gate to control flood release from a reservoir. |
| gravity dam | A dam constructed of concrete and/or masonry that relies on its mass (weight) for stability. |
| reservior area | The surface area of a reservoir when filled to normal water level. |
| arch dam | A concrete or masonry dam that is curved to transmit a major part of the thrust due to water pressure to the abutments. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in the position of an object or material due to gravity. |
| kinetic energy | The energy of a moving object or substance related to its mass and speed. |
| penstocks | Tubes that direct water towards the generator in a hydroelectric powerpllant |
| turbine | The large structure turned by moving water on a hydroelectric powerplant. |
| generator | A spinning magnet in side a coil of wires that creates an electric current. |
