 Check dams or gully plugs are structures built across channels to reduce erosion by lowering water speed and accumulating sediments during floods. They are often introduced in degraded areas where natural or agricultural vegetation cover was lost or not capable of holding the topsoil. Check dams can be grouped into two main categories, temporary and permanent structures. Primary check dams include structures of small to medium size, designed to resist a few years. These structures support the establishment of a permanent vegetative cover and can be removed when their goal is achieved. Permanent check dams are medium to large constructions, usually implemented in severely affected sites. They are designed to last many decades and to resist massive flood events. Usually entire communities benefit from their implementation. The check dam should be firmly keyed to the bed and banks of the gully to provide stability and avoid underflow. Several factors influence the choice of a check dam, such as topography, precipitation intensity, material and financial resources. Check dams are flexible structures and can be built with a great variety of materials. They can be built with brushwood, wooden posts, stones, fixing gabions, cement or simply by piling sandbags. Check dams need to be built on the right places, ideally where water can be directed to suitable areas for groundwater recharge. In this sense, locations where natural vegetated floodplains exist are particularly suitable. Check dam implementation needs to be started in the upstream of the catchment in order to avoid the destruction of the downstream structures. Furthermore, suitable land use, humus building and terracing should accompany the first aid of the plugs. The variety of materials and resources that can be used to make check dams makes them a flexible and suitable solution for different areas and environments. They are also one of the most used stabilization measures worldwide. However, a drawback is the constant and intense maintenance needed. If not accomplished, incompleteness of the work and improper maintenance can in fact lead to structural damages with time. The higher frequency of heavy floods due to climate change forces constructors to pay more attention to the after-implementation phase of a check dam, the maintenance. This is to avoid subsequent collapses and failures. It is essential to adapt check dam design to changes in context, climate and situation and integrate post-completion supporting structures and to implement continuous maintenance practices.