21 Spillways, Energy Dissipators, and Spillway Gates 21.1. Introduction A spillway is a structure constructed at a dam site, for effectively disposing of the surplus water from upstream to downstream. Just after the reservoir gets filled up, up to the normal pool level, water starts flowing over the top of the spillway crest (which is generally kept at normal pool level). Depending upon the inflow rate, water will start rising above the normal pool level, and at the same time, it will be let off over the spillway. The water can rise over the spillway crest, upto the maximum reservoir level, which can be estimated from the inflow flood hydrograph and the spillway charac- teristics, by the process of flood routing, explained earlier. Therefore, it is only the spillway, which will dispose of the surplus water and will not let the water rise above the maximum reservoir level. Had there been no such structure, over which the water would have overflown, the water level must have exceeded maximum reservoir level, - and ultimately would have crossed the freeboard and thus overtopped the dam, causing the failure of the dam. Hence, a spillway is essentially a safety valve for a dam. It must be properly designed and must have adequate capacity to dispose of the entire surplus water at the time of the arrival of the worst design flood. Many dams have failed (especially the earthen dams) because of the improperly designed or inadequate spillways. - 21.2, Location of a Spillway A spillway can be located Freeieeare either within the body of the dam, or at one end of it or en- tirely away from it, inde- pendently in a saddle. Ifa deep narrow gorge with steep banks, separated from a flank by a hillock with its level above the top of the dam (such as shown‘in Fig. 21.1), is avail- Bes able, the spillway can be best ae built independently of the ie dam. Under such circumstances, a concrete or an earthen dam can be constructed across the main valley and a spillway ’can be constructed independently into the saddle. Some- times, a concrete or a masonry dam along with its spillway can be constructed in the main valley, while the flank or flanks are closed by earthen dikes or embankments. The 1099 laximyre water evel ef“ Spillway crest KA Flank called ‘\Normal poot Saddle level Main gorge