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impoundment

impoundment

1 7.3
A place where water is kept behind a dam for storage
  • noun
  • /ɪmˈpaʊndmənt/
: embalse
  • The wildlife sanctuary features an impoundment that attracts various bird species throughout the year.
  • beaver impoundment
  • water impoundment
  • dams and impoundments

Examples

  • Beaver impoundment boundaries are set by surface water limits as impounded by a beaver dam.

    Academic text (2010)
  • A beaver impoundment is a previously free-flowing river segment flooded by a beaver dam.

    Academic text (2010)
  • After the closure of the deep injection well, the army returned to the earlier disposal method of surface impoundment.

    Academic text (1999)
  • But water impoundment for salt gathering is currently intensifying for growing populations.

    Academic text (1993)
  • However, future water impoundments and diversions could cause major changes to the Okavango Delta ecosystem.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The most commonly used disposal techniques involve land-based options such as landfills, land treatment, and surface impoundments.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The 61 marsh management projects proposed the impoundment of almost 200,000 acres, an average of 3,232 acres for each management area.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Processes associated with sediment regimes differ at the segment scale, with overall deposition in impoundments, erosion in meadows, and transport or erosion in free-flowing segments.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The new reservoir is an impoundment designed to store water for agricultural use.

  • The city constructed several impoundments to manage stormwater and prevent flooding.

Synonyms

reservoir
vsimpoundment
79 4.3

A large area, like a lake, that stores water or other liquids

focuses on areas collecting water and holding it behind a barrier
artificial lake
vsimpoundment
1 3.5

A man-made area that holds water for a town, farm, or park

includes both natural and artificial storage rather than only man-made bodies
retention basin
vsimpoundment
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A pond made by people that holds rainwater to prevent flooding and keep the water clean

covers broader uses and is not limited to permanent stormwater storage
detention basin
vsimpoundment
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A built area that holds rainwater from storms briefly and releases it slowly to reduce flooding downstream

covers longer or varied storage rather than only temporary stormwater

How Big

lake
∞ 1.0
reservoir
79 4.3
impoundment
1 7.3
pond
246 1.0
pool
956 1.0

Surface Forms

impoundment singular
impoundments plural

Morphology

impoundment = impound (semi-transparent) = impound + ment

This sense is a domain-specific extension where 'impoundment' refers to a body or structure that confines water (a reservoir), which is derivable from 'impound' but represents a specialized technical meaning.

Etymology

The word impoundment can also mean a place where water is held back by a dam, and it keeps the same idea: im- 'in' plus pound 'to keep', so water is 'kept in' one place. That's why a reservoir or an area behind a dam is called an impoundment.