The long and short of it:
Checkdam design and location

Design Notes

Location Notes

Checkdams are generally unremarkable structures: they are built to be practical, not pretty. However, a carefully designed and located checkdam can have a remarkable effect on livelihoods and transform the local environment from a barren wasteland to a lushly vegetated oasis.

Design Notes

There is no set design for a checkdam. Each structure is adapted to the hydraulic regime, topography and needs of the area, and varies widely in size and shape. The more simple structures can be easily made with earth and clay, and work well across shallow streams where there is minimal flow and a low gradient. Often, these checkdams are referred to as ‘embankments’. Due to the erodible nature of the material, earthen embankments are unable to withstand water overflow and fail more easily than checkdams made of stronger materials.

In cases where overflow is likely or where streamflow is greater, stone or reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structures are recommended.
The inclusion of a spillway in the design allows for excess water to flow harmlessly downstream. Understandably, these structures require more technical and financial inputs, but have a much longer lifetime than earthen checkdams.

Component Drawing of a Masonry Checkdam: Checkdam design varies greatly depending on location, climate and stream hydraulics. However, in general these structures generally consist of a head wall, a toe wall, and a spillway. Head wall extensions and wing walls  on either side help to reduce the chance of bank erosion.

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Location Notes

Deciding when to use an earthen embankment or an RCC structure is the job of DA’s Field Office staff in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. There, our experienced engineers and technicians collect information from the field on prospective sites and decide which structure would be best suited to the local conditions.

Site characteristics they look for are:

-	Stream size and estimated streamflow
-	Maximum flood levels during the monsoon
-	Presence of rocks or other natural barriers which can be incorporated into the design
-	Presence of suitable bed material to promote infiltration
-	Distance of fields to stream to prevent flooding
-	Local need and demand for irrigation water

Selecting a site is an iterative process that includes discussions with local farmers and community leaders, references to maps and other technical data. However, choosing an appropriate location also requires a good measure of intuition born from years of experience in the region. The goal of our technicians and engineers is to optimize the amount of water stored and increase the benefits to cropped areas. Structures with high cost:benefit ratios are selected and built once we receive adequate funding.

Bangaon: The birth of a checkdam These farmers are busy excavating the foundation for our newest checkdam. After hearing about the success of our checkdam projects from other villagers, the farmers approached us to build in their area.By becoming active members in the construction process, they have also become active participants in the creation of their own sustainable livelihoods.

Construction of the checkdams is accomplished using local labour and materials whenever possible. Involvement of the communities in the building process promotes a greater sense of ownership and an increased desire to maintain the structure once construction is complete. It also helps to keep the overall cost of construction to a minimum. The presence of our field staff during construction ensures that small adjustments to the design can be made as needed.

Once built, checkdams rarely require more than just simple maintenance. Our field technicians check for cracks and seepage for about three years following construction of the checkdam. Afterwards, the structures become the responsibility of the local farmers and communities. Many of our structures have endured over a decade in the harsh climate of the Bundelkhand and continue to provide benefits to the farmers and residents in the area.

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