Click here for more information. In the US, dams have helped foster economic development in the West. In some areas, dams were built to control flooding. Today, balanced use is important.
Reservoirs created by dams provide a wide variety of water recreation opportunities.
Some dams generate hydropower, others are built strictly to retain or divert water and deliver it for farmers and their crops. However they are used, Reclamation dams and reservoirs are a public resource. They are subject to the laws and regulations that govern these entities and are accessible to all. Reclamation is in the business of water management. Using the storage potential of these dams Reclamation can hold back water and release it for irrigation and municipal purposes.