Dams: Aquafornia Water Word of the Week
Aquafornia’s Water Word of the Week from sister site Aquapedia is Dams. Dams are just one of more than 200 definitions of water terms from A to Z on Aquapedia, the Water Education Foundation’s vetted, interactive online water encyclopedia.
The topic of dams begins with the following overview: “Dams have allowed Californians and the West to harness and control water dating back to the days of Native Americans. At that time, Native Americans erected simple dams for catching salmon. Today, California and neighboring states are home to a vast integrated system of federal, state and locally owned dams that help with flood management, water storage and water transport.”
To dig deeper into dams, Aquapedia also lists useful resources, including these from the Foundation: “Layperson’s Guide to Flood Management,” “Levees and Flood Protections: A Shared Responsibility, Western Water, May/June 2012” and “Are We Keeping Up With Water Infrastructure Needs? Western Water, Jan./Feb. 2012.”
The Foundation’s comprehensive action-packed tours (field trips), including the upcoming Central Valley Tour April 23-25, feature itineraries that include site visits to dams.
In addition to water-related terms, Aquapedia also includes videos, photos, timelines, a directory of water interests, acronyms, and bios of historical water people.