A sabo dam
A sabo dam is normally a pair of dams,
a main dam for retaining sediments and
a secondary one for protecting the main
dam against scour. The secondary one
can be skipped if the main one is founded
on solid rock.
The structure reduces the flow velocity
and retains sediments.
The retention capacity depends on the topography of the upstream river bed, but can be 100-
200,000 m3.
Depending on the location, the structure can also divert water for irrigation, or even feed a
micro-hydropower plant.