A barrage is a type of low-head, diversion dam which consists of a number of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing through the structure, and thus regulate and stabilize river water elevation upstream for use in irrigation and other systems. The gates are set between flanking piers which are responsible for supporting the water load of the pool created. While the term is borrowed from the French word meaning a dam generally, its usage for such a structure in English is chiefly in Pakistan, India, Egypt, Iraq, and other countries in the Middle East.