Barrier to Prevent Flooding

Barrier to prevent flooding crossword clue. 4 letters. A quick crossword clue last seen in Herald Sun newspaper on today, Aug 8, 2017

Answer: Dyke

Dikes, dams, levees
A dike normally runs along or parallel to a body of water such as a river or a sea, a dam runs across or through a body of water. A dike has water only on one side, a dam has water on both sides. The main purpose of a dike is protecting the land behind it from flooding (closing dike), whereas a dams’ purpose is to retain the water.

Dikes and levees are embankments constructed to prevent flooding. Levees may be formed naturally or artificially. They prevent the water from overflowing and flooding surrounding areas.

Dikes are walls that hold back the sea. The land would be flooded if the dikes were broken down. The dikes were first built to reclaim land from the sea. In countries like Egypt and Bangladesh they will be needed, when the sea levels raise as it is predicted.