Genesee River

The Genesee River's name is derived from the Iroquois meaning good valley or pleasant valley. It flows northward through western New York from its source south of the town of Genesee in Pennsylvania and empties into Lake Ontario north of the City of Rochester, New York. The river drains about 2500 square miles (6,500 sq. km.). Falls along the river are within the gorge of Letchworth State Park (the Grand Canyon of the East) near Portageville, New York and within Rochester, where they provided power to 19th century industry. A dam at Mount Morris is the largest flood control dam east of the Mississippi. It has greatly reduced flood damage in the lower Genesee Valley; its capacity has only been exceeded once, during the great flood of 1972, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Agnes. Although the floodwaters went over the spillway, the flooding was partly ameliorated below the dam. The dam was completed in 1952.

Related Topics:
Iroquois - New York - Genesee - Pennsylvania - Lake Ontario - Rochester - Letchworth State Park - Portageville, New York - 19th century - Mount Morris - 1972 - Hurricane Agnes - 1952

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The river was the original source of power and commerce in the Rochester area. Many grist mills along the river ground more flour than anywhere else in North America, giving Rochester her nickname ?Flour City?.

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