The San Antonio Flood of 1998
Floodgates
The main section of the Riverwalk, the Great Bend, was built partly as a
flood control project. The upper gate here actually is keeping water from
flowing into the Main Cutoff as the river is kept at normal levels here.
At the lower end of the Great Bend, a hinged gate (in the lower left) is
brought up to maintain water level above the current of the Main Cutoff. Note
The traffic light indicating that the gate is impassible.
The river flow down to the floodgate responsible for maintaining the water
level of the Riverwalk. The wires strung accross the channel are meant to
keep boats from going over the gates and indicate where the water level is
usually maintained.
The hinged gates here are usually kept at the higher angle that may be
seen on the side of the wall. At this point the volume of the channel
serves to carry the extra current. This is how river is actually lower
for downtown under flood conditions than normal conditions
Last updated December 31, 1998