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There are many types of flood gates used for various purposes throughout the world. These flood gates may be seen in levees and canals as mitered barriers that can be manually adjusted to allow water to flow to plants during certain parts of the year.

The most common barriers used on dams and major waterways are radial or fuse gates. The radial gates are controlled both mechanically and manually. The flood gates open and close in response to the level of water in a dam. When the sensors rise to a certain level, the valve opens and releases water. Some radial gates are connected to hydro-energy plants and water is released to the plant then returned to the dam from the plant.

Fuse gates do not allow for the kind of control that other barriers offer. They are often installed on the top of dams and waterways as a “stop gap” when other control measures fail. The gates are designed to slow the flow of water over a dam or waterway.

Mobile flood gates are being used for a unique purpose. As the water level in oceans continues to rise, cities throughout the world are threatened by the influx of the rising water. These barriers have been designed to prevent flooding of major cities in the world.

Towers located near the installation area activate the home flood barriers. The gates lower to a specific water level. When water reaches above that level, the barrier stops it. These barriers protect the city from being flooded as ocean water rises.

The use of these barriers to stop encroachment of the sea on major cities has been used since 1982. As more cities have been threatened by seawater flooding, the use of the barriers has increased.

Marine biologists have been conducting studies on the affects of these barriers on ocean life for several years. There is concern that the reduction of water flow between feeder rivers and the sea adversely affects the micro-organisms and nutrients that are vital to sustaining sea life.

Another concern about mobile barriers is related to the fact that this method of controlling water levels does not allow for the user of hydro-energy systems that could significantly reduce the need for fossil fuels in the cities where the barriers are used.

The first major mobile barriers were built on feeder rivers that fed into the ocean. These barriers are housed on the docks of major shipping lanes, which impacts the revenue of the docks in those cities.

The barriers have also been anchored in the sea. These barriers cover several miles of ocean and are controlled via radio transmission. The gates are activated each day when the tide rises. Scientists are studying the cities where daily use of the mobile barriers is used to determine the amount of damage that is occurring to the eco-system in that area.

As the oceans continue to rise the use of flood protection barriers will continue to rise. The door flood barriers take, on average, between ten and twenty years to be completed. The planning for the size of the gates is based on predictions of future needs so that there is no need to replace the gates once they have been installed.