Levee

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A levee ( or ), is an elevated ridge alongside the banks of a river, often intended to protect against flooding of the area adjoining the river. Alternatively, it is called a dike (American English), dyke (Commonwealth English), floodbank, or stop bank. It is a type of embankment. A levee, natural or artificial, is usually earthen and often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlines. Naturally occurring levees form on river floodplains following flooding. Sediment and alluvium are deposited on the banks and settle, forming a ridge that increases the river channel's capacity. The levee's shape is due to the coarser load of the river immediately depositing adjacent to the channel as the water loses velocity during flooding, with progressively finer sediments settling further on the floodplain on each side of the channel, creating a gentle slope on each side of the U-shaped channel. Alternatively, levees can be artificially constructed from fill...

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