Photo credit: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iwabuchi_Floodgate_or_Akasuimon_(Red_Sluice_Gate)_-_Kita_section_of_Tokyo_-_Japan_-_9_May_2014.jpg
Floodgates are adjustable barriers used to control water flow in channel systems such as levees, canals, reservoirs, rivers, bypasses, and streams. Depending on the circumstance, gates can control water flow is a downstream or upstream direction.
They can, generally, be used for the following purposes:
- Controlling water levels within channels during heavy rainfall events, preventing the ingress of water into areas, and preventing channels from overflowing.
- Adjusting flow rates, to manage the flow of water.
- Impeding the flow of water to prevent the ingress of water during flood events, such as during instances of storm surge systems.
The type of floodgate selected for implementation is based on site-specific needs and conditions.
Other common applications for floodgates include water management at dams and spillways to high tides, as well as within irrigation and water treatment plants.