Mill dam

A mill dam (International English) or milldam (US) is a dam constructed on a waterway to create a mill pond.

Water passing through a dam's spillway is used to turn a water wheel and provide energy to the many varieties of watermill. By raising the water level so that the overflow has farther to fall, a milldam increases the potential energy that a mill can harness and use for various tasks.

Listed are here are some of the many examples of historic milldams and millponds (or place names taken from them).

Examples in the United Kingdom include:

Examples in the United States include:

...
Wikipedia