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[[Image:Tyrolean_weir_icon.png|right]]

Dams and water inlet structures in embankments are vulnerable and expensive elements in river-fed water systems. They are easily damaged by floods, underflow, seepage and suffer from build-up of sediment or rubbish in the water. The Tyrolean weir forms a more reliable and cheaper alternative. Water is abstracted through a screen (or inlet) over a gutter, usually made of concrete and built into the riverbed. The screen on the crest should slope downstream (15-30 degrees), to increase flow velocities and prevent sediment carried by the stream from blocking it. From the gutter, water enters a pipeline, which drains into a sedimentation tank and then flows by gravity into the rest of the system.