Hill Dam Design to Improve Water Use in Rural Areas—Case Study: Sacachún, Santa Elena

Abstract

The Sacachún commune in Ecuador currently faces a lack of water for its agricultural development; this reduces its possibilities of socio-economic development and causes migration to urban areas. This research proposes a presa colinar (hill dam) design that uses ancestral knowledge and classic engineering techniques to promote water use during the dry season in semi-arid regions. The methodology consisted of: (i) a systematic compilation of the ancestral structures used for water planting and harvesting in Ibero-American; (ii) selecting an appropriate place to build the hill dam; (iii) the dam’s body design; (iv) and creating a proposal for agricultural water use. The results helped define a good location for the hill dam implementation. In addition, a 10 m high and 40 m wide earthen dam was designed, with a storage capacity of 114,341 m3, extending agriculture to 7.5 ha through a polyculture system of six different plants. The embankment has a cofferdam located downstream, which provides stability in static and pseudo-static conditions. In addition, the dam slopes have a 2:1 ratio, and a spillway channel and filter drain were dimensioned to protect the dam.

Proposing Optimal Locations for Runoff Harvesting and Water Management Structures in the Hami Qeshan Watershed, Iraq

“…Dams are natural impediments or built structures that cross rivers and promote surface water levels by regulating or obstructing normal water flow. Although dam construction increases emitted greenhouse gases (e.g., CO 2 and CH 4 ) into the atmosphere, destabilizes ecosystems, disturbs runoff and sediment dynamics in the lower reaches, and traps deposits, it provides multiple benefits and advantages such as flood protection, secure water supply, crop irrigation, hydropower generation, aquaculture, groundwater recharge, soil moisture conservation, recreational development, and local community prosperity [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. In other words, the economic merits of dams compensate for the construction/operation costs and relevant detriments [23].…”