Damlinie

Damlinie is a term used in hydrology and civil engineering to denote the planned or existing line along which a dam is aligned, typically corresponding to the crest or primary structural axis of the installation. In practice, damlinie may refer to the crest line, the alignment of the dam's upstream and downstream faces, or the boundary line used to delineate the reservoir area and the flood storage associated with the structure. The word draws from Germanic roots (dam from dam, linie/linie meaning line); as such, its exact meaning and usage vary by language and project manual, and in English-language technical literature the term is uncommon and often replaced by more precise descriptors.

Usage and context: The term is mainly seen in planning, surveying, and reservoir management documents, where mapping the damlinie helps engineers assess terrain interaction, land use impacts, and the communication of structural limits to authorities. In operation, it may appear in project dossiers or regional water plans rather than as a formal standard term. Readers should consult local documentation to determine the intended meaning in a given project. Related concepts include crest line, dam axis, spillway, flood line, dike and levee.