Literature Review: The Function of Check Dams and The Effect of Check-Dams on
Water Erosion
Hangxi Fan
Department of Resource Analysis, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona, MN
55987
Keywords: Water Erosion Control, Check-Dams, flow velocity, sediment transportation
Abstract
The objective of this review is to introduce the function of check dams and their effect on
water erosion control. All the literature and information indicate water erosion is the
primary type of erosion, its process results in gradually forming various of landscapes on
earth. As some of the process are advantageous to agricultural production, several
methods are invented to prevent and mitigate the influence of water erosion and to make
benefits for irrigation. Check dam is one of the most ancient and frequently utilized way
for this purpose.
Introduction
On a global scale, water erosion is the
most severe type of soil erosion. It occurs
mostly in the form of running water. It is
one of the major causes of soil loss and
soil degradation. Gully erosion, one of
the severe types of water erosion, can
wash out crops, expose plant roots and
harmfully affecting the growth of plants
and the stability of landscapes by
entraining and transporting sediment and
nutrient to lower water bodies. Gully
erosion is about 21-27.5% of the inter-rill
and rill erosion (USDA, 1996). In
mountainous areas, this percentage can
be even much higher (Blanco and Lal,
2010).
Dams are constructions built
across a river or a stream and used to
interrupt and store water for special
purpose. Check dams are comparatively
smaller and more temporary to other
types of dams. They are often constructed
across a swale, ditch or rill to counteract
water erosion and reduce the flow
velocity. Check dams are an ancient
technique can be dating back to second
century A.D. But its simplicity does not
defines it to trap significant amount of
sediment but to flatten the gradient of the
flow channel (Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality, 2014). While
according to Pidwirny (2006), flow
velocity and erosion rate are in a positive
relation. With all the information of
check dams, it is credible that check
dams have a side effect on water erosion
control.
Rationale and Function
A check dam construction is a barrier
across a stream; its basic principle is
reserving potential energy by interrupt
the flow of water (Marsh, 2010). Energy
loss in this process results in lower
velocity in downstream. Furthermore,
according to the structure of a check dam
across the ditch, swale or rill, it’s also
Hangxi Fan 2015. Literature Review: The Function of Check Dams and The Effect of Check Dams on Water Erosion.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota University Central Services Press. Winona, MN.
capable of flattening the gradient of
channel in order to reduce the velocity. In
this process, flow will go through
infiltration rather than eroding the
channel while facing a check dam
(Marsh).
There are several types of check
dams; each type of dam is constructed
with different conditions. In general,
some essential considerations of check
dams need to be considered. First, the
site of each check dam must be carefully
inspected to assess dam settling. The
slope of waterway should be no more
than 50% and the depth to bedrock
should be over 2 feet (Department of
Environmental Quality, 2005). Second,
check dams materials will vary
depending on conditions and locations.
Logs and rock are usually utilized in
permanent or semi-permanent check
dams for their stability, and sandbag is
for short term purpose (Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality,
2011) . Besides this, materials selection
also bases on the slope, the drain scope,
and composition of bedrock. Third, the
center of check dam should be at least six
inches lower than the edges in height
based on its size (Mississippi Department
of Environmental Quality). Some check
dams are typically implemented as a
system, consisting of several check dams
across a area of flow. In this condition,
the elevation of the toe of the upstream
dam is no higher than the crest of the
downstream dam (Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality).
This type of dam project can be
widely utilized in small open channels
and drainage ways, including temporary
and permanent swales (Marsh, 2010).
Check dams flattens the gradient of
channels and blocks streams from
fluently flowing. As a consequence, not
only the velocity of flow is mitigated, but
also the path can be distributed toward
vegetation (Water, 2005). On another
hand, check dams also trap sediments
from streams which helps to reduce water
erosion.
Application
Agoramoorthy and Hsu (2008) conducted
an investigation of check dams in
villages across western India. During the
period from 1990 to 2007, a small
nonprofit agency named the Sadguru
Foundation built totally 305 check dams
in various types of rivers and associated
lift irrigation systems which benefits
120,976 villagers from neighboring arid
area. These dams’ storage of water was
1,657.17 million ft3. These stored water
irrigated 47,700 acres of cropland and
saved the villagers from poverty (N. M.
Sadguru Water and Development
Foundation, 2008). Afterward many acrid
areas are transformed to green land due
to this change.
According to Agoramoorthy and
Hsu’s report, check dams are mainly
applied to store water for agriculture
production. As it is lack of data and
status of individual check dam, there is
no further report about the effect and
function of these check dams. But it can
be implied, as the dams store water for
irrigation, so the sediment and nutrient
are also stored while they are entrained
by stream\.
Catella, Paris and Solari (2005)
took four individual slit-check dams on
Versilia basin for research to identify the
deposit capacity of each slit-check dam.
They collected the geometric information
of four dams and streams’ data around
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these dams in different period to examine
their equation of the dimensionless
parameter which stands for the efficiency
of slit-check dam. It resulted in the
parameter have a positive relation with
the total bed-load discharge during
transportation reach maximum before
dam, and a negative relation with the
theoretical volume stored by check dam
evaluated for peak condition by its
geometric construction (Catella, M.,
Paris, E., and Solari L. 2005).
According to the data in their
report, it clearly clarified check dams
have a positive effect in sediment control.
The deposit process of sediment enabled
floods less harmful to human and
environment, and also somehow reduced
the rate of water erosion.
be seen as a sequence of events:
detachment, entrainment, and transport
(Pidwirny). Accordingly, the area above
blue line should all be considered as
process of erosion.Thus, the flow
velocity has a positive relation with
erosion rate. This also testify reducing
flow velocity could mitigate water
erosion.
Figure 1. The relationship between flow velocity
Critical Entrainment Velocity
and the erosion of particles in different
sizes.(Pidwirny)
Critical entrainment velocity is the
velocity required to entrain specific size
particle into moving water. Figure 1
visually describes the relation between
flow velocity and entrainment while
entraining particles of different size. The
red line stands for process of entrainment
describes the velocity required to break
the bonds between particles and to
entrain them. The curve of red line is
because fine silt and clay particles
comparatively have higher resistance to
entrainment because of the strong
cohesive bonds between particle
(Pidwirny, 2006). The erosion velocity
curve is drawn as a thick line because the
erosion particles tends to be influenced
by a variety of factors that differ from
stream to stream. The blue line in figure
1 shows the relation of sizes of particles
and the certain minimum velocity
required to transport them. Erosion can
Conclusion
From these materials, check dams are
widely applied on agriculture,
environmental protection, erosion control
and debris flow control. Many function
are attached to the major effect--reducing the flow velocity, for instance
preventing stream cutting the channel,
storing water in arid area and trapping
sediments during flood. These function
induce a considerable effect on society
and environment since ancient times.
Although each check dam and the stream
which it’s built on is variable, its effect
on erosion control is provable.
Reference
Agoramoorthy G. and Hsu M. J. 2008.
Small Size, Big Potential:Check Dams
3
For Sustainable Development. P. 7-9
Blanco-Canqui, H. and Lal, R. 2010.
Principles of Soil Conservation and
Management p.4
Catella, M., Paris, E., and Solari L. 2005.
Case Study: Efficiency of Slit-Check
Dams in the Mountain Region of
Versilia Basin p.1.2.7.8
Idaho Department of Environmental
Quality, 2005. Catalog of Stormwater
Best Management Practices for Idaho
Cities and Counties p. 106–108
Marsh, W. M. 2010. Landscape Planning:
Environmental Applications (5th ed.)
p. 267–268
Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality, 2011.
Handbook for Erosion Control,
Sediment Control and Stormwater
Management on Construction Sites and
Urban Areas. Volume 1 Erosion and
Sediment Control Practices. p. 4-118.
Pidwirny, M. 2006. "Erosion and
Deposition". Fundamentals of Physical
Geography, 2nd Edition. Retrieved on
Feb 10th, 2015 from
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fund
amentals/10w.html
Water, M. 2005. Water Sensitive Urban
Design Engineering Procedures:
Stormwater. p. 140
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