OSU’s sand dam research team is led by Dr. John Selker and consists of former and current graduate students researching sand dams with a focus on the sedimentation of sand dam reservoirs. Sand dams are concrete or masonry dams built across ephemeral streambeds that collect and store water in saturated sediments that accumulate in their reservoirs during seasonal floods.
A typical Sand Dam Profile. (1)
Two people standing a top a water-bearing sand dam. (2)
Water stored in sand dam sediments can be a critical resource for communities in arid regions. Water is typically accessed via hand-dug scoop holes or wells.
Water extraction via a well. (3)
For effective interstitial storage of water, sand dams require the accumulation of uniform, coarse sand and the exclusion of fine sediments such as silt, which can reduce porosity and increase capillary retention of the deposit. Sand dams commonly underperform due to the accumulation of silt (siltation). An estimated 40-60 percent of sand dams in Kenya (where the global majority of sand dams reside) are negatively impacted by siltation [4]. Current research is focused on finding methods to improve sand dam function by preventing the accumulation of silt. See publications page for more detail!
Citations:
(1) Sswm.infoa. 2021. Sand Dams and Subsurface Dams | SSWM – Find tools for sustainable sanitation and water management!. <https://sswm.info/water-nutrient-cycle/water-sources/hardwares/precipitation-harvesting/sand-dams-and-subsurface-dams>
(2) (https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/sand_dam.jpg)
(3) (https://www.explorationscompany.com/about/media-centre/blog/africa/how-are-excellent-developments-sand-dams-saving-lives-in-rural-africa)
(4) De Trincheria, Josep & Filho, Walter & Otterpohl, Ralf. (2018). Towards a universal optimization of the performance of sand storage dams in arid and semi-arid areas by systematically minimizing vulnerability to siltation: A case study in Makueni, Kenya. International Journal of Sediment Research. 33. 10.1016/j.ijsrc.2018.05.002.
(5) Sitesmedia.s3.amazonaws.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://sitesmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/creekconnections/files/2014/03/PorosityPermeability-activity.pdf>
