Definition of Hydraulic Structures:

Hydraulic structures are anything that can be used to divert, restrict, stop, or otherwise
manage the natural flow of water. They can be made from materials ranging from large
rock and concrete to obscure items such as wooden timbers or tree trunks. A dam, for
instance, is a type of hydraulic structure used to hold water in a reservoir as potential
energy, just as a weir is a type of hydraulic structure which can be used to pool water
for irrigation, establish control of the bed (grade control) or, as a new innovative
technique, to divert flow away from eroding banks or into diversion channels for flood
control.

A hydraulic structure is a structure submerged or partially submerged in any body of

water, which disrupts the natural flow of water. They can be used to divert, disrupt or
completely stop the flow. An example of a hydraulic structure would be a dam, which
slows the normal flow rate of river in order to power turbines. A hydraulic structure can
be built in rivers, a sea, or any body of water where there is a need for a change in the
natural flow of water.

https://www.aboutcivil.org/hydraulic-structures-lectures-notes.html