Yup that’s simplistically true. The difference though they do allow you to choose when it gets released. Around where I live that allows irrigation of crops dur

Yup that’s simplistically true. The difference though they do allow you to choose when it gets released. Around where I live that allows irrigation of crops during the summer months. That water does not go into the ocean. Also around here many of the municipalities draw water downstream from the dam as well. A portion of that travels through the sewer systems, gets purified then dropped back into the river.