Photo By Kaylee Wendt | Infographic explaining the the flood risk prevention benefit provided by the U.S. Army...... read more read more
(MOUNT MORRIS, N.Y.) March 7, 2025 – The Mount Morris Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, continues to serve as a critical safeguard against flooding in western New York, preventing an estimated $170 million in flood damages in 2024.
Located on the Genesee River, at the northern end of Letchworth State Park and just south of Rochester, the dam plays a vital role in flood risk management for communities downstream, protecting over 160,000 residents in the Genesee River 100-Year Flood Plain and more than 200,000 in Rochester. By controlling water flow, the dam helps reduce the risk of severe flooding events that could cause extensive damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.
A History of Flood Protection
Authorized by Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1944, the dam was constructed between 1948 and 1952 to reduce flood risk along 67 miles of the Genesee River Valley, from the Village of Mount Morris to Rochester, where the river empties into Lake Ontario.
Since its completion, the Mount Morris Dam has prevented an estimated $4.5 billion in total flood damages. The dam is designed to hold back floodwaters only when necessary, as the Genesee River Protection Act of 1989 ensures the river normally flows freely through the structure. During heavy rainfall events, water is retained behind the dam with a storage capacity of 300,000 acre-feet, filling Letchworth Canyon before being released at a controlled rate to prevent downstream flooding.
The majority of the $170 million in flood risk prevention benefits for 2024 were realized in the Rochester metropolitan area, as much of the Genesee River basin is agriculture and homes along the river. These savings include avoided damage to property and structures, reduced emergency response costs and lower disaster recovery expenses.
Major Flood Events and the Dam’s Impact
Before the dam’s construction, severe flooding occurred on average every seven years between 1865 and 1950, causing widespread destruction in the Genesee River Valley and in Rochester. One of the most devastating floods occurred in 1865, when river flows exceeded 24 million gallons per minute. Early flood control measures such as retaining walls and river channel deepening projects, proved ineffective against major flood events, which is why building the Mount Morris Dam was necessary.
The Mount Morris Dam faced its biggest test in June 1972, when Hurricane Agnes dumped 7 inches of rain across the Genesee Valley in a short period of time. The extreme inflows nearly exceeded the dam’s capacity, forming a 15-mile-long lake behind the dam.
Water levels came within 5-feet of overtopping the dam, forcing controlled releases that caused minor flooding downstream. Had the dam been overtopped, the resulting debris and log jams could have caused significant destruction.
In total, the dam prevented an estimated $210 million in damages during Hurricane Agnes alone, which at the time was the costliest natural disaster in the United States. .
Routine maintenance is critical for the Buffalo District to successfully operate the Mount Morris Dam. The on-site team at the dam continuously performs preventative maintenance, checks instruments and indicators throughout the dam, and ensures backup systems are operational, among many other tasks. Given that the structure is over 70 years old, some components require significant overhaul, and engineers and project managers from the district headquarters are brought in to lead these major construction projects.
The Mount Morris Dam Recreation Area which includes the William B. Hoyt II Visitor Center, is a great place to learn more about the Mount Morris Dam and , the Army Corps of Engineers. Surrounded by natural beaty, it is also a popular destination for visitors to observe local plants and wildlife while enjoying the recreation area’s trails and picnic areas.
For more information visit:
https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Submit-ArticleCS/Recreation/Article/3613898/mount-morris-dam/
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2025 08:54 |
| Story ID: | 492238 |
| Location: | MOUNT MORRIS, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mount Morris Dam Continues History of Flood Risk Prevention, by MSgt Ryan Campbell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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