[reservoir] A forebay is an artificial pool of water in front of a larger body of water. The larger body of water may be natural or man-made. Forebays have a number of functions. They are used in flood control to act as a buffer during flooding or storm surges, impounding water and releasing in a controlled way into the larger waterbody. Th... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forebay_(reservoir)