A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams.

The reservoirs created by dams

not only suppress floods but provide water for various needs to include irrigation, human
consumption, industrial use, aquaculture and navigability. Hydropower is often used in
conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for
storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the
primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also
known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions.

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing
of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas
and during periods of inadequate rainfall. Additionally, irrigation also has a few other uses in crop
production, which include protecting plants against frost,[1] suppressing weed growth in grain
fields[2] and preventing soil consolidation.[3] In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct
rainfall is referred to as rain-fed or dryland farming.
Irrigation systems are also used for dust suppression, disposal of sewage, and in mining. Irrigation
is often studied together with drainage, which is the natural or artificial removal of surface and
sub-surface water from a given area.
Irrigation has been a central feature of agriculture for over 5000 years, and was the basis of the
economy and society of numerous societies, ranging from Asia to Arizona.

Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many
agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and
transfer people or cargo to or from land. Port locations are selected to optimize access to land and
navigable water, for commercial demand, and for shelter from wind and waves. Ports with deeper
water are rarer, but can handle larger, more economical ships. Since ports throughout history
handled every kind of traffic, support and storage facilities vary widely, may extend for miles, and
dominate the local economy. Some ports have an important military role.