LeveesBy Nathan Johnston

What are levees?• A levee is a type of dam that runs along the

banks of a river or canal. Levees reinforce the banks and help prevent flooding. By confining the flow, levees can also increase the speed of the water.

What are levees?• Levees can be natural or man-made. A

natural levee is formed when sediment settles on the river bank, raising the level of the land around the river.

What are levees?• Man made levees are usually made by

piling dirt over a level surface along river bank. Emergency levees can be made with sand bags during flooding and later made permanent.

Examples

• Levees protect the land in many parts of the world. In Europe, levees prevent flooding along the Po, Vistula, and Danube rivers. In the United States, you will find important levee systems along the Mississippi and Sacramento Rivers.

Mississippi river Sacramento river

Vistula river