The dams form part of Environment Southland's flood protection infrastructure. The flood protection network, including 458 km of stopbanks, 7 dams and associated culverts and structures protects major population centres, smaller townships and large swathes of rural production land.Environment Southland maintains four detention dams and three retention dams on behalf of the community. Waihopai, Otepuni, Kingswell and Winton dams are detention dams which protect urban areas from surface flooding. Clayton's, Lagoon Creek and Dawson City are retention dams in northern Southland proetecting rural areas from flooding and reducing the channel and bridge/culvert damage downstream of the structures.More information can be found in Our Threats: Southland Water: Part 4 and Infrastructure Strategy 2018-2048
