• Where a closed channel is used to convey the discharge around a dam through the adjoining hill sides, the spillway is often called a tunnel or conduit spillway. The closed channel may take the form of a vertical or inclined shaft, a horizontal tunnel through earth or rock, or a conduit constructed in open cut and backfilled with earth materials. Most forms of control structures, including overflow crests, vertical or inclined orifice entrances, drop inlet entrances, and side channel crests, can be used with tunnel spillways. Two such examples have been shown in Figs. 15 and 16. When the closed channel is carried under a dam, as in Figure 13, it is known as a conduit spillway. 

• With the exception of those with orifice or shaft type entrances, tunnel spillways are designed to flow partly full throughout their length. With morning glory or orifice type control, the tunnel size is selected so that it flows full for only a short section at the control and thence partly full for its remaining length. Ample aeration must be provided  in a tunnel spillway in order to prevent a fluctuating siphonic action which would result if some part of exhaution of air caused by surging of the water jet, or wave action or backwater. 

• Tunnel spillways are advantageous for dam sites in narrow gorges with steep  abutments or at sites where there is danger to open channels from rock slides from the hills adjoining the reservoir. 

• Conduit spillways are generally most suited to dams in wide valleys as in such cases the use of this types of spillway would enable the spillway to be located under the dam very close to the stream bed.

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