Court Street Dam and Bridges on Genesee River in Rochester, NY

Dam: (Satellite)

Bridge: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Dam Bridge: (Historic Bridges)

Erie Canal overview

Looking upstream (South) at Court Street Bridge from Broad Street Bridge.

Street View, Jun 2025

View looking upstream at Court Street Dam and Bridge from Court Street Bridge. The I-490 Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge is in the background.

Street View, Jun 2017

I wonder if the public can use this bridge over the dam.

HistoricBridges

Because the Genesee River intersects with the Barge Canal upstream from here, the dam controls the level of the canal. Thus the "canalErie" label on these notes.

3 of the 4 images posted by Jeff Miller with the comment:

I’m taking a walk around Rochester this afternoon, April 12, 2026.

     The Court Street Dam is keeping Rochester’s Barge Canal Inner Harbor from flooding over the embankments today; lots of water flow on the Genesee!

a, a screenshot from a video

b

c, cropped

Because the dam is just a little downstream of the I-490 bridge, all of the views I have seen of that bridge have about the same river level. Instead of the river level changing, the flow rate in the river changes.

HighSteel via Dennis DeBruler

The dam was built with a bunch of sluice gates.

Digitally Zoomed, 2x

By 1927, the sluice gates were replaced with sector gates.

Digitally Zoomed

Actually, the operation of these gates should be like bear trap gates in that values can be used instead of pumps. To raise a gate, valves on the upstream side of the chamber are opened. To lower the gate, valves on the downstream side of the chamber are opened.

Digitally Zoomed, 2x

In all of the views and photos I have looked at of the dam, they lowered the sector gates before they let the water flow over the fixed weir on the east side. So this photo of the sector gates being dry while the weirs are spilling water caught my eye. Looking closer, they are not using the sector gates because they are doing construction in the downstream river bed.

Ethan Corona, Dec 2019

I wish I could read the text.

Ethan Corona, Dec 2019

And this is what all of that spilled water is doing downstream at the former aqueduct.

Facebook Reel

Barge Canal Lock #18 at Jacksonburg, NY

(Satellite)

Erie Canal Overview

Antonio Mandurano, Sep 2025

nycanalmap

It seems that the gates always leak.

Barb D (Barb D), Oct 2024

Frank Gillette posted
Bring in the big guns Little Falls

Frank Gillette posted
Lock 18 Repair 1993

1914 4.4mw + 1949 16mw Big Quinnesec/Hydraulic Falls Dam on Menominee River near Iron Mountain, MI

(Satellite)

Facebook Reel

First plant constructed: 1914

Maximum generation: 4,400 kilowatts

Second plant constructed: 1949

Maximum generation: 16,000 kilowatts

[we-energies]

"The Big Quinnesec Falls Hydroelectric Facility consists of a 92-Foot Head Powerhouse, a 61-Foot Head Powerhouse, four 12-foot diameter steel penstocks, and a dam that holds a 270-acre impoundment." [usgov]

All but one Parker gate is now open.

Jason Asselin - Videos, News & More posted, cropped
5 flood gates are now open on Big Quinnesec Falls Dam in East Kingsford, MI on the Menominee River! Watch the mist rise higher than this 83'

1893 Aban/Pennsy Duck Creek Bridge

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Mike Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs (CC BY-ND)
Revenue abandonment
The railroad bridge at Caywood Road, Washington County, Ohio. In 1968 the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with long time rival New York Central forming the Penn Central Railroad Company. The merger went bankrupt and in 1976 Penn Central, along with several other struggling railroads, was purchased by the Consolidated Rail Corporation, in hopes to transform the troubled railroad system into a profitable business. The merger created an ever lasting impact to our area when thousands of miles of track was abandoned, including the Marietta Branch, due to what was considered low revenue. After the last train crossed this bridge on its way to Dover Ohio, in May 1976, just about every mile of the entire line was abandoned.

2021 Photo by Mike Tewkesbury via BridgeHunter

Facebook Reel

1941 Morris Sheppard Dam and Possum Kingdom Lake on Brazos River

(Satellite)

brazos_inspection (source)
"BRA’s largest dam, at 2,700 feet [823m] long and 190 feet [58m] high, or about half a mile long and as tall as a 13-story building."

"The dam consists of nine crest "roof weir" [see more information below] type gates, each approximately 74 feet [22.6m] long and 13 feet [4m] high for the passage of floodwaters. Each gate passes approximately 9,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water when open. The Morris Sheppard dam was originally constructed with a hydro electric generating facility that is no longer in use." [brazos_reservoir]

brazos_dam
"At the time, the Morris Sheppard Dam was the tallest flat-slab buttress dam in the United States."

brazos_dam
It was built with two 11.25mw generators, but they quit working in 2007 when safety issues were identified that were deemed too expensive to fix. Decommissioning was not complete until 2014. They had to install a controlled outlet conduit within the dam structure to replace the flow through the removed penstocks.

This photo shows that the new controlled 78" conduit outlet in the lower corner of the powerhouse has a lot more capacity than the three controlled outlets in the body of the spillway. There is also a 42" conduit just this side of the 78" conduit.

brazos_dam

A Google search, after the AI did some "thinking," taught me that a "roof weir" is another name for a bear trap gate. I noticed that they are doing maintenance on two of the nine gates in the above photo. I zoomed in on the closer one. We can see the stop logs holding back the lake while the gate is disassembled. And one of the two leaves of the gate has been removed.

Digitally Zoomed

Has that second gate from the right been broken for over six years?

Santy Lay, Jun 2020

Since one of the gates is actually spilling, not just leaking, water, they have closed all of the outlet conduits.

Santy Lay, Sep 2020

The good news is that no power is needed to open and close a bear trap gate. The weight of the water operates the gates depending on which valves are opened. The bad news is that workers have to go out on the gates to release the locks. These are the only gates in the Brazos River Authority that are not controlled remotely.

brazos_dam
"These nine crest "roof weir" type gates are each about 74 feet [22.6m] long and 13 feet [4m] high. Depending on the streamflow and lake elevation, each gate can pass up to 9,600 cubic feet per second of water when open."

There is also an uncontrolled emergency spillway on the south side of the dam. So far, it has not been used.

Satellite

5:53 video @ 0:32 (source)

@ 3:31
Brazos River Authority Gate Operations
The three low-flow gates can release 100-150cfs per gate. The 78" and 42" conduit ring jet valves can release 3,000cfs. This source specifies 9,000cfs for each bear trap gate.
[This video erroneously attributes the invention of radial gates to Tainter in 1888 instead of to Patrick Thibado in 1880. [Dennis DeBruler]]

@ 4:03

1900 Winnibigoshish Dam on Mississippi River near Deer River, MN

(HAER; Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2016

USACE, St. Paul District posted

We #TBT to April 22, 1882, when the first pilings were driven in for #WinnibigoshishDam, located near #DeerRiver, #Minnesota.  

The original dam, made in part from nearly 2 million feet of white and Norway pine, was replaced in 1899 by the concrete structure that still sits in Lake Winnibigoshish today. 

 The name Winnibigoshish is #Chippewa, meaning rough water.

John Weeks

"The original dam at this location was a wooden dam started in 1881 and finished in 1884. It was replaced with a concrete dam in 1899-1900. A 12-foot log sluice and a 5-foot fish ladder was added in 1912. These additions are no longer in use. The bridge deck was added in 1909, and rebuilt in 1990.

"This was the first major reservoir built on the Mississippi River. The US Army Corps of Engineers report that the dam and reservoir were built to be a resource that would benefit the entire nation. Water released from northern reservoirs would help make the shipping season more predictable and safer. Today, the dam is used to keep the lake at a constant level of 1,297 feet above sea level. The shipping lanes are now managed by downstream locks and dams, leaving the lake available for recreational purposes.

"The lake is 67,000 acres, with about 140 miles of shoreline. Unlike lakes in the Brainerd Lakes area, Winnibigoshish remains mostly undeveloped. As the fifth largest lake in Minnesota, it is considered to be the crown jewel for fishing, and some of the best walleye fishing in the world. One key to the excellent fish habitat is that this lake is located on a major river, which keeps the lake flushed clean."

hmdb

The Corps of Engineers dates back to the Revolutionary War. On June 16, 1775, the day before the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Continental Congress appointed a Chief Engineer and two assistants for the Grand Army; a few years later, in 1779, Congress formally established the Corps of Engineers.

In 1860, Major General Warren, the first St. Paul District Engineer, performed field surveys in the Mississippi River Headwaters region. Ten years later, Congress authorized a study to determine whether a series of dams and reservoirs constructed in this area could assist in stabilizing water flow in the Mississippi River between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. As a result of these studies, the St. Paul District designed a system of dams capable of raising water levels and storing annual spring runoff in six existing lake systems, for release when low water downstream caused hazards to navigation. Congress funded the Headwaters projects, and the dams were constructed and placed in operation between 1884 and 1912.

Today, by a series of locks and dams, the Corps maintains a 9-foot deep navigation channel below Minneapolis, Minn. The Headwaters reservoirs no longer serve the purpose for which they were constructed, but do provide flood control and storage for additional water during periods of drought, and offer outstanding opportunities for water-based recreation activities. In addition, the lakes support major populations of fish, and provide habitat for a number of furbearing mammals. The forests, marshes, and wetlands also furnish a haven for many species of wildlife and waterfowl.

Winnibigoshish Dam, located on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, was the first constructed in the system of six dams. It is located on the Mississippi River 170 river miles from its source in Lake Itasca and 1,244 river miles from its mouth at the Gulf Coast. The original structure, built at the outlet of the lake and completed in 1884, was of timber-crib on timber piles. By 1903 the timber structure had deteriorated and was replaced by concrete. Today the dam is a 162-foot-long concrete structure on timber piles. It controls the runoff from a 1,442-square-mile drainage area that includes 28 lakes. The original construction was done by a crew of about 300 skilled and unskilled workers at an initial cost of $75,000.

Lake Winnibigoshish (67,000 acres in size, with 141 miles of shoreline) fills a basin formed by a huge ice block left behind by a receding glacier, and is surrounded by glacial deposits. Several archaeological sites along the shore provide evidence of prehistoric settlements. The Ojibwa named it "miserable-wretched-dirty-water" (Winnibigoshish) because of the effect of storm winds churning up the muddy bottom.

[hmdb]

hmdb
"This timber dam at Lake Winnibigoshish was the first in a system of six dams built in the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. ca. 1898, Minnesota Historical Society"

hmdb
"This 1880 log sluice in a northern Minnesota dam allowed a sufficient volume of water through to carry logs to the next logging dam. ca. 1880, Minnesota Historical Society"

hmdb
"Lake Winnibigoshish Dam and Reservoir. ca. 1975"

hmdb
"In 1885 laborers at Lake Winnibigoshish were paid $30.00 per month. ca. March 1884"

Significance: The Lake Winnibigoshish Reservoir Dam is one of six Mississippi River Headwaters Reservoir dam sites that are historically significant for their association with navigation, commerce, tourism, the Ojibway Indians, and U.S. Indian policy in Minnesota in the late 19th century. 

By providing a consistent flow of water throughout the navigation season, the Winnibigoshish Dam enhanced navigation and aided in the commercial development of the Upper Mississippi River. The dam site was also one of the earliest non-Indian settlements in the region and by the late 19th century was attracting some of the first tourists to the area.- The dam had a devastating impact on the Ojibway Indians who lived along the lake's shores. The project precipitated a century-long conflict between the tribe and the U.S. government over the damages resulting from the inundation of tribal lands and property.

[HAER_data]  

HAER MINN,31-DERIV.V,1--2
2. Downstream view of dam, looking northwest - Lake Winnibigoshish Reservoir Dam, Deer River, Itasca County, MN

Not everyone was as enthusiastic about the addition of the dam on the Mississippi. The Ojibwe band that lived in the area was greatly affected and in a detrimental way. The dam was constructed on Ojibwe land without consent from the tribe which wedged the first ax between the Natives and the Corps. When the dam was completed, the water level of Lake Winnibigoshish rose 14 feet, which subsequently caused the village, gardens, and traditional burial grounds to be flooded and destroyed. The Corps estimated that around 23,240 acres of Ojibwe land was flooded. The rise in water level also deepened the shallow fishing grounds that the band relied on for net fishing. This hurt the tribe’s food supply greatly as the netted fish supplied a significant portion of the food supply. Hay that grew along the lake shore was lost, along with many cranberry marshes, and some maple trees. In 1889, the Rice Commission determined that the band’s wild rice marshes were also severely damaged.

According to the Ojibwe, the high water had completely washed away the bones of their ancestors. This greatly upset the Ojibwe not only because part of their heritage was gone, but also because the government promised to move the cemetery and gardens to higher ground, but never did. Sho-kah-ge-shig, a spokesperson for the Winnibigoshish Ojibwe at the time, described the devastation:

“There are no persons who have been so badly damaged. Look around here. It is not fire that makes it look so barren around the lake. It is the effect of the water caused by the overflow.”

The federal government offered to pay the Ojibwe for damages as well as future damage that would be caused due to prospect of more dams being built. This came with a price tag of $15,466.90, but the Ojibwe rejected it. Negotiations kept going on until the Ojibwe saw no alternative but to relocate to the White Earth Reservation in western Minnesota. As part of the agreement reached during negotiations, the proceeds from land sales and improvements went to the reservation.

[GrandRapidsMN]

Headwaters History Booklet via USACE
"Lake Winnibigoshish Dam during construction, 1899"

1914 Coon Rapids Dam on Mississippi River at Brooklyn Park, MN

(Satellite)

The dam was built in 1914 for hydroelectric power. The dam was shut down in 1966 after becoming too expensive to operate. The dam was donated to a local park system. Starting in 2012, the dam got maintenace work to be a barrier to Invasive (Asian) Carp. [mnhs]

Al Schirmacher posted

Coon Rapids Dam

Brooklyn Park Minnesota

AnokaCountyParks

dnr
"The dam was modified in the mid 1990's to provide a new walkway and new gate system. In 2005, a major scour hole on the downstream side of the dam was repaired. When new scour damage was confirmed by an underwater sonar scan in 2009, a decision was made to look at all issues of concern related to the dam: scour damage, longevity and operability of the rubber gates, and the need to prevent the passage of invasive fish species."

AnokaCountyHistory
The dam is near a half mile long.

I could not find what the generation capacity used to be.