Black Rock Dam (Schuylkill River)
Contributing property of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section Historic District | |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000462 [1] |
|---|---|
The Black Rock Dam is a low head dam in the Schuylkill River. Originally constructed as a stone filled, timber crib dam in the early 19th century by the Schuylkill Navigation Company, the dam created a slack water pool for the Schuylkill Canal. The dam included three hydroelectric generators for a period of time and is now owned by Exelon. The dam is contributing property of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section registered historic district,
The original dam structure is "L" shaped. There is the usual perpendicular crossing, but the majority of the structure is a long fore bay for the canal, parallel to the left bank. The fore bay section has two spill ways, the abandoned power house section, and ends at Lock 60 of the canal. In the 20th century, the perpendicular section was extended across the end of the fore bay, creating a bank to bank dam and capping the fore bay.
As part of a project to restore the migratory American shad to the Schuylkill, a fish ladder is being added to the dam.[2]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
- ^ "Schuylkill River American Shad". Retrieved 2008-10-11.