Water-spreading weirs
Water-spreading weirs are structures made of natural stones and cement that span the entire width of a valley to spread floodwater over the adjacent land area. Over the last 12 years water-spreading weirs have been introduced and improved as a new rehabilitation technique for degraded dry valleys in Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.
In dry valleys where water flows to the rivers for only a few days a year, the weirs serve to distribute the incoming runoff over the valley floor and allow as much water as possible to infiltrate the soil. Depending on user preferences, the primary goal may be for 1) agricultural use, 2) silvo-pastoral use or 3) to replenish or increase water table levels.
Land use type
Cropland
Technology group
Soil erosion control
Type of land degradation addressed
Soil erosion by water
Water degradation
Country
Source
WOCAT
Read more
Image