CANAL STRUCTURES

(Part 1)

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 CANAL STRUCTURES
A. Conveyance Structures Used to transport water
from one location to another traversing various
existing natural and manmade topographic features
along the way.
B. Regulating Structures In an open irrigation
system, it is used to regulate the flow passing
through the structure, to control the elevation of the
upstream canal water surface, or to do both.
C. Protective Structures protect the canal system and
adjacent property from damage which would result
from uncontrolled storm runoff or drainage water,
or an uncontrolled excess of flow within the canal.
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 CANAL STRUCTURES

D. Water Measurement Structures Used to measure

discharge in a canal system.
E. Energy Dissipators are used to dissolve excess
kinetic energy possessed by flowing water.
F. Safety Devices are used to limit the access or
deter people and animals from getting into the canal
or escape devices in the event people gets into the
canal either deliberately or by accident.
G. Miscellaneous Structures are used to satisfy field
conditions.
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A. Conveyance Structures
1. Road Crossings used
to convey water under
roads or railroads.
Available hydraulic
head or cost considera-
tions usually determine
the feasibility of using
pipe for conveying
water under a roadway
or using a bridge over
the waterway.
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A. Conveyance Structures
1. Road Crossings

box culvert

pipe culvert

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A. Conveyance Structures
1. Road Crossings

Bridge 6
A. Conveyance Structures
2. Inverted Siphon used
to convey canal water
by gravity under roads,
railroads, other
structures, various types
of drainage channels or
depressions.

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A. Conveyance Structures
2. Inverted Siphon

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A. Conveyance Structures
3. Bench and Elevated Flumes used to convey canal
water along steep sidehill terrain, or to convey canal
water over other waterways, or natural drainage
channels also at locations where there is restricted
right-of-way or where lack of suitable materials
makes construction of canal banks undesirable or
impractical.

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A. Conveyance Structures
3. Bench and Elevated Flumes

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A. Conveyance Structures
4. Drops used to convey water from a higher to a
lower elevation and to dissipate excess energy
resulting from this drop.

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A. Conveyance Structures
4. Drops

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A. Conveyance Structures
5. Chutes - used to
convey water from a
higher to a lower
elevation where the
drop in elevation is
greater than fifteen
(15) feet.

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A. Conveyance Structures
5. Chutes

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B. Regulating Structures
1. Checks - used to
regulate the canal
water surface
upstream of the
structure and to
control the
downstream flow.

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B. Regulating Structures
1. Checks

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B. Regulating Structures
2. Check Drops
provide a means
of making small
changes in canal
invert
elevations.

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B. Regulating Structures
2. Check Drops

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B. Regulating Structures
3. Turnouts are
used to divert
water from a
supply channel
to a smaller
channel.

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B. Regulating Structures
3. Turnouts

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B. Regulating Structures
4. Division Structures
used to divide the
flow from a supply
pipe or channel
among two or more
channels or pipes.

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B. Regulating Structures
4. Division Structures

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B. Regulating Structures
5. Check and Pipe Inlets are box-type structures on
the upstream end of a pipe. The inlet to the box is
an opening that provides for installation of either
a gate or stoplogs. Walk planks covering the top
of the box provide a platform for operation of the
gate or stoplogs.

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B. Regulating Structures
5. Check and Pipe Inlets

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C. Protective Structures
1. Wasteways
comprised of an
overflow or gate
structure, in
combination with a
drop or chute
structure.

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