Man-made lakes around the world are utilized for gathering, using, and controlling water. These lakes are just as valuable in arid environments with low annual rainfall as they are in wet and tropical areas. Without man-made lakes, in dry climates where rainfall can be sparse for months at a time and steady irrigation is not possible, crops would die. Yet, by holding whatever water is available to make it accessible as long as possible, agriculture is feasible in more areas. Of course, artificial lakes and reservoirs provide much more than just water for plants or drinking supplies.
Power Generation
Some of the world’s largest man-made lakes are used primarily for power generation. Lakes and dams can generate electricity directly through hydroelectric systems, or the supply may go to other power generation methods that require plenty of cooling water. Whether the water is used directly or indirectly in the power generation process, it’s essential to maintain a specific volume and water quality for reliable performance. Man-made lakes are better for providing consistent conditions than natural features that may change from season to season.
Drinking and Agricultural Reservoirs
Some of the country’s largest man-made lakes, such as Nevada’s Lake Mead, are primarily designed to supply drinking water for millions of people. If the water doesn’t have quite the quality needed for drinking water supply, it’s likely useful for irrigating thousands of acres of cropland instead. These reservoirs typically capture the flow of an existing river, or collect snow melt from a high mountain range, to stay continuously full despite high daily demand. Water reservoirs perform best when lined as tightly as possible to minimize loss through seepage. Advanced depth prevents evaporation, which can be further assisted by using floating ballasts to keep wind and sun from reaching the water’s surface.
Decoration
While the depth and size of a lake usually require a major investment, some parks and luxury housing developments consider it a worthy cost for such an attractive decorative feature. Decorative lakes and ponds with fountains and jets often double as a retention pond for processing storm water and runoff from surrounding areas. Housing developments create artificial watersheds, especially on large and hilly properties covering hundreds or thousands of acres. All the water that flows off of impermeable surfaces like roads, roofs, and even lawns add up to hundreds of thousands of gallons in a major storm. So, a large man-made lake designed to handle the flow can serve both purposes with a little extra care and attention to its design.
Recreation
There are hundreds of man-made lakes in the U.S. designed specifically for water recreation, especially in the Southeast and Midwestern states. Areas that have few natural lakes often add at least a few large bodies of water to expand boating, swimming, jet skiing, and wakeboarding opportunities. Recreation lakes tend to experience higher amounts of wake against the shore than bodies of water used for other purposes. Thus, making it essential to line and stabilize the banks to prevent erosion. Erosion from boat and jet ski wake will not only cause bank collapses, but the resulting sand and silt will also fill in the bottom of the lake and reduce its overall depth.
Fishing or Fish Farming
While some people consider fishing just another branch of water recreation, it’s serious business to competitive bass fisherman looking for challenging yet natural environments to compete on. Man-made lakes offer the chance to tailor each body of water to the specific fish. Some of the biggest record-breaking bass and other trophy fish have come from man-made lakes that offered just the right depth and water quality for massive growth. Man-made lakes also play important roles in fish farming operations where millions of fish are grown and processed each year to supply affordable protein without impacting ocean or river stocks.
Flood Control
In areas with heavy seasonal rainfall or snow melt, reservoir and recreational lakes often double as a form of flood control for communities downstream from the watershed. Seasonal flooding that follows a predictable pattern is easily contained with an appropriately sized man-made lake that can absorb the extra flow. These lakes often dry down significantly in the drier months and exhibit clear water marks to show the previous height. This creates the extra space necessary for the upcoming rainfall or flooding. If a lake doesn’t dry down enough on its own over a season, it may be drained partially to create more storage space.
Wastewater Storage
Finally, some man-made lakes are used for wastewater storage and processing. These structures tend to be ponds instead of lakes, in order to maximize surface area and minimize depth. However, a wastewater area may become a lake if it requires a greater depth to encourage the settling of silt or dissolved solids. Lake-sized wastewater storage impoundments are often required for power plants, mineral processing, and manufacturing facilities. Since seepage and leaks from these lakes could result in long-term pollution and contamination, a tightly sealed base is essential to keep the water in place until it’s processed or treated. Lakes are typically used for long-term storage rather than evaporation due to their depth. They may be used in conjunction with shallow evaporation ponds to recapture valuable components of the wastewater.
It can be difficult to determine if you need the depth and size of a lake or can get away with building a smaller pond instead. If your goal is only for recreational, fishing, or decorative use, you may only need a pond. Reservoirs and power generation systems are much more likely to demand the volume and depth of a man-made lake. Here at BTL, we provide liners that work for both ponds and lakes. We’ll help you choose the best product based on your particular needs and desires.
