Dry Weather, Construction Drop Genesee Water Level

By Carlet Cleare

Rochester, NY – Water levels are dramatically lower than normal in parts of the Genesee River. The combination of dry weather and a construction project has significantly dropped water levels.

According to the U-S Geological Survey, the water flow of the Genesee River at the Ford Street Bridge is 10-percent below average.

New York State and RG and E are further draining the waterway to replace two old, water control gates in a High Falls dam. RG& E's Fossil Hydro-Operations manager Hugh Ives says the River's water levels have been inching down due to the recent arid weather.

RG&E's Ives says that may be why the river looks so bare, "If there were like normal flow in the river you would probably see more water in that stretch of the river, you know maybe a foot or two higher than usual. There's just no flow. the Genesee river there's just not much feeding into it, the tributary creeks, Mt. Morris dam I don't believe, which is 50 miles south and I believe their dam is empty, if you will."

Ives says the company and state drew up nearly 9 feet of water from the river. He says this is so workers can safely can into the river to install temporary steel sheets.