Those Darn Dams

People have built dams for thousands of years. Modern dams are designed to be multi-purpose. They provide irrigation, flood
control, water supply, electric power and recreation. Hydroelectric dams use the energy of falling water from reservoirs to
produce electricity through the use of turbines.

There are several types of dams which include rock, timber, embankment, masonry, earthen and concrete. Construct an earthen
dam and find out whether you can make it hold water!

You will need:

1/2 gallon milk carton (cut one side and the top off of the carton)

6 - 8 craft sticks, cut in half

Pottery clay

Sticks, gravel, dirt, pebbles

Building your Dam:

Glue the craft sticks together, side by side until the form a wall.

Glue the wall to the middle of the "floor" of the milk carton.

After the glue dries, form a triangle shape over the wall with the clay.

Add sticks, gravel or dirt over the clay layer, ending with a top layer of close fitting pebbles (in a real dam, these are known are
riprap).

Note:

You may want to mix your "loose" materials with clay to help them be more cohesive. Press all of the layers firmly down so that
it forms very tight layers.

After you've constructed your dam, let it dry for 5 - 7 days. Then slowly pour water behind the dam.

Questions:

Does your dam hold water?

Could wildlife survive in your type of dam?

Did you know...

Oahe Dam in South Dakota takes its name from the Oahe Mission established among the Dakota (Sioux) Indians in 1874. The
word "Oahe" roughly means "a foundation" or "a place to stand on."