Spillways on River Levees

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Levees are built on many rivers and mountain torrents to protect populations
against floods. During medium floods, a well-constructed levee offers
sufficient protection without requiring additional hydraulic structures. But
this same levee represents a source of danger during high floods, since there
is a risk of overtopping. Water that spills over a levee may create a breach
that could potentially provoke flash flooding in the area it was supposed to
protect, endangering human lives and infrastructure.

It is therefore advisable to equip levee systems with spillways, which are
common appurtenant structures on dams. Yet spillways on levees play a far more
complex role than those on dams, from securing protected areas to flood
control. These structures can function as safety spillways or diversion
spillways, or both (especially the older ones).

This technical handbook, first published in French in 2012, covers different
types of spillways on river levees, including their function, hydraulics,
river morphology, civil engineering, and flood management. Written by a
working group led by INRAE, it is intended for levee managers, control
authorities, engineering firms, and hydraulics or civil engineering students.
Given increasing international interest in levees and flood protection
systems, particularly following ICOLD’s creation of a Technical Committee on
Levees, INRAE decided to update and translate this guide into English to share
the French experience.