Illustration Gallery

The following are graphical examples of dams and their components. All illustrations were taken from the Dam Safety Guidebook - Wisconsin Edition, a guidebook supported by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

You may also visit the Terms and Definitions page for a list of terms and their definitions that are frequently used when discussing the physical characteristics of a dam.

Embankment Dam

Profile Along Crest Dam

Section Through Dam

Homogeneous Earth Fill Dam

Zoned Embankment Dam

Stoplogs

Slump Area

Controlled Drawdown

Uncontrolled Breach

Berm

Dike (Levee)

Instrumentation

Typical Warning Signs

Earth Embankment with Drop Inlet and Emergency Spillway

Earth Embankment with Overflow Spillway

Gated Dam with Powerhouse and Tainter Gate Spillway

Gravity Dam with Stoplog Spillway

Arch/Buttress with Pipe Outlet

Rockfill/Timber Crob with Tainter Gates

Concrete Gravity with Overflow Spillway

Earth Embankment with Drop Inlet

Principal Parts of a Dam

Principal Parts of a Dam

Common Maintenance Items

Hydrological Cycle

For more information contact:
Department of Natural Resources
Dam Safety Program, WT/3
101 South Webster Street
PO BOX 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
(608) 266-8030

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