ABSTRACT
Water is the elixir of life. Flow diversion is the earliest source of irrigation water used, with the possible exception of hand-dug wells. Subsurface storage is a relatively new type of project which has been publicized recently in China. It depends on the existence and identification of an appropriate geological structure which allows the formation of an underground reservoir. The traditional method of letting gravity move water is less demanding on technical maintenance and considerably less expensive than the use of electric or diesel pumps to lift water. Most Chinese live on flood plains. The most famous method of flood control in China has been the use of dikes on one or both sides of unruly rivers. Flood waters may be led off into detention basins or into other drainage systems, either natural (rivers) or artificial (canals). Aside from providing water for irrigation and electricity generation, a large dam may control floods by impounding or moderating excess waters.
