Photo By Kaylee Wendt | An infographic created on Canva detailing the statistics for the 2024 Mount Morris Dam...... read more read more
MOUNT MORRIS, N.Y. — The Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area at the northern end of the Letchworth Gorge welcomed more than 123,546 visitors during its 2024 visitor season.
The season offered visitors a chance to explore the dam, participate in special events and enjoy a wide variety of recreational opportunities. It is one of nearly 3,000 recreation areas operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers across the country.
Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, the dam’s William B. Hoyt II Visitor Center had 16,236 visitors who learned about USACE and the significance of the dam through interactive exhibits and interpretive services.
Daily tours were offered from spring to late fall, with park rangers leading 5,186 participants on 286 guided tours inside the active, working dam.
“The end of the visitor season presents an opportunity to reflect and appreciate the accomplishments that occurred since last October,” said Steve Winslow, the manager at Mount Morris Dam.
Along with providing a place for visitors to experience nature and view wildlife, the dam and recreation area hosted several special events during the season, receiving over 1,000 people during the total solar eclipse weekend in April and scores more during popular summer trail races.
In May, more than 400 runners participated in the Sehgahunda Trail Marathon and Relay, starting at the dam and traversing natural obstacles, over 100 gullies, and 3,000 to 4,000 feet of elevation.
The dam also remained a key destination for school groups and field trips, said Winslow, with park rangers engaging students on-site and through various outreach events.
In June, rangers took part in the Mount Morris Glory Days Parade, distributing water safety materials and emphasizing the dam’s critical role in managing the Genesee River watershed.
Since the start of its construction by USACE in 1948 to reduce the risk of catastrophic flooding in the lower Genesee River basin, the Mount Morris Dam has been an icon in the region, with more than three quarters of a century of stories and success as part of its history.
The dam was featured in several “I LOVE NY” Path Through History events this season, highlighting that significance to visitors from across New York State. These events reached hundreds of community members, students and teachers.
Alongside education and recreation, the Buffalo District continued to focus on operations and maintenance of the dam to ensure its primary mission of flood risk reduction. Since it began operation in 1952, the dam has provided over $4 billion in flood risk prevention benefits to the Genesee Valley and Rochester area.
“By all measures, we considered 2024 a successful year for the Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area,” said Winslow. “We look forward to serving downstream residents, while providing recreation opportunities and protection of natural resources in the year to come.”
The Mount Morris Dam and Recreation Area’s visitor center will re-open to the public and begin offering Ranger-guided walking tours in May 2025. More information is available at https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Submit-ArticleCS/Recreation/Article/3613898
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2024 14:27 |
| Story ID: | 483877 |
| Location: | MOUNT MORRIS, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Look Back at the 2024 Mount Morris Dam Visitor Season, by MSgt Ryan Campbell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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