Nilometer
Structure for measuring the Nile River's clarity and water level / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A nilometer was a structure for measuring the Nile River's clarity and water level during the annual flood season.[1] There were three main types of nilometers, calibrated in Egyptian cubits: (1) a vertical column, (2) a corridor stairway of steps leading down to the Nile, or (3) a deep well with culvert.[1] If the water level was low, the fertility of the floodplain would suffer. If it was too high, the flooding would be destructive. There was a specific mark that indicated how high the flood should be if the fields were to get good soil.[1][2]
Nilometers originated in pharaonic times, were also built in Roman times, and were used until the Aswan Dam rendered them obsolete in the 1960s.