Wing Dam or Wing Dike Definition

Wing Dam or Wing Dike

A “Wing Dam” or “Wing Dike” refers to a dam that intentionally retains a fraction of the width of a flowing water source. Unlike a conventional dam, a wind dam aims to divert the path of water flow. Additionally, a wing dike can control the velocity of water flow. For instance, engineering geologists may design a wing dike within a channel to increase the flow velocity and decrease the width of the channel.

A wing dike dam can also be an extension of an existing conventional dam, such as a concrete gravity dam, embankment dam, concrete arch dam, or a concrete slab and buttress dam. For instance, the Saint Francis Dam comprised a primary concrete gravity dam at the center block of San Francisquito Canyon, in Saugus, California. And it also comprised an extended wing dike at the western abutment to control the flow of water from the upstream canyons.

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