flood control

American  

noun

Civil Engineering.

1. the act or technique of controlling river flow with dams, dikes, artificial channels, etc., so as to minimize the occurrence of floods.

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flood control British  

noun

1. the technique or practice of preventing or controlling floods with dams, artificial channels, etc

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Etymology

Origin of flood control

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flood control

River is primarily treated as a flood control channel, so park rangers carefully monitor for rain when the recreation zones open for leisure, like kayaking, during the summer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Intense rain and severe flooding from Typhoon Maysak killed at least four people in Guangxi, where authorities raised the flood control emergency response to its highest level in the regional capital, Nanning.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

The province's emergency flood control response has been raised to its highest level.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

If rain totals are on the higher end of forecasts, swift-water rescues could prove necessary should people become trapped in flood control channels or streams, Kittell said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025

As far back as 3500 B.C., the Sumerians, the original inhabitants of this area, mastered irrigation and flood control to create a fertile oasis amid the sandy plains of what is now Iraq.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell