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53-638: The river was named after François Joseph Paul, comte de Grasse , a French admiral and hero of the American Revolutionary War. He defeated British forces in the Battle of the Chesapeake , contributing to their surrender at Yorktown, ending the war. The river is created by a series of small ponds, lakes and streams located in the northern New York towns of Russell , Clare and Clifton . Two main branches of streams and ponds, known as

106-724: A Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem . He was also a member of the American Society of the Cincinnati . Admiral de Grasse died at Tilly ( Yvelines ) in 1788; his tomb is in the church of Saint-Roch in Paris . His grown children from his marriages all emigrated to Saint-Domingue . His eldest son, Auguste de Grasse , inherited the title of Comte de Grasse-Tilly. He was stationed in Saint-Domingue in 1789 as

159-672: A family with him in New York City. After his wife Antoinette died young, de Grasse married again, to Catherine Pien, widow of M. de Villeneuve. She also died before him. Thirdly, he married Marie Delphine Lazare de Cibon. In addition, while in service in India during and after the Seven Years' War , de Grasse is believed to have fathered a mixed-race , French-Indian boy with an Indian woman in Calcutta . The boy, born about 1780,

212-631: A naturalized citizen in 1804. George de Grasse married well and educated his three children: his son John van Salee de Grasse was the first African American to graduate from medical school and became a respected physician in Boston ; he served as a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The eldest son, Isaiah George DeGrasse , became a Protestant Episcopal minister, and daughter Serena married George Downing , who became

265-726: A naval officer, and acquired a large plantation and 200 slaves. He was joined by his stepmother and sisters. After the Royal Navy defeated the French fleet there in 1793, during the Haitian Revolution , Auguste de Grasse was among the officers who surrendered and were allowed to leave. He migrated with his family (including his four sisters, who had joined him) and settled for several years in Charleston, South Carolina . Two sisters died there of yellow fever in 1799. Silvie,

318-488: A negative effect on fish species that migrate as part of their breeding cycle (e.g., salmonids ), but it also can be useful as a method of preventing invasive species moving upstream. For example, weirs in the Great Lakes region have helped to prevent invasive sea lamprey from colonising farther upstream. Mill ponds are created by a weir that impounds water that then flows over the structure. The energy created by

371-562: A pair of shipping locks and two dams if one were trying to travel from the Grasse to the lake). This was only possible during the construction of the old powerhouse, as the river was dredged to 15 feet (4.6 m) along its course to the St. Lawrence. At the mouth of the Grasse River is Snell Lock , part of the St. Lawrence Seaway Shipping System. Several hundred yards upriver from the mouth of

424-415: A range of biota , including poor swimmers. Even though the water around weirs can often appear relatively calm, they can be extremely dangerous places to boat, swim, or wade, as the circulation patterns on the downstream side—typically called a hydraulic jump —can submerge a person indefinitely. This phenomenon is so well known to canoeists, kayakers, and others who spend time on rivers that they even have

477-689: A renowned restaurant entrepreneur and civil rights activist. At the age of eleven (1734), de Grasse entered the Order of Saint John as a page of the Grand Master. He served as an ensign on the galleys in battles against the Turks and the Moors. In 1740 at the age of 17, he formally entered the French Navy . He participated in French naval action in India during the Seven Years' War. He

530-416: A rueful name for weirs: "drowning machines". The Ohio DNR recommends that a victim should "tuck the chin down, draw the knees up to the chest with arms wrapped around them. Hopefully, conditions will be such that the current will push the victim along the bed of the river until swept beyond the boil line and released by the hydraulic." The Pennsylvania State Police also recommends to victims, "curl up, dive to

583-716: A squadron; they were operating to counter the Royal Navy of Britain. He contributed to the capture of Grenada that year, and took part in the three actions fought by Guichen against Admiral Rodney in the Battle of Martinique . De Grasse was promoted to lieutenant-general of the Navy (equivalent to vice-admiral) in March 1781, and was successful in defeating Admiral Samuel Hood and taking Tobago . De Grasse responded to George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau 's Expédition Particulière when they appealed for his aid in 1781, setting sail with 3,000 troops from Saint-Domingue , where

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636-449: A weir is broad-crested for much of its length, but has a section where the weir stops or is 'open' so that small boats and fish can traverse the structure. A notch weir is any weir where the physical barrier is significantly higher than the water level except for a specific notch (often V-shaped) cut into the panel. At times of normal flow all the water must pass through the notch, simplifying flow volume calculations, and at times of flood

689-516: A weir. Weir can also refer to the skimmer found in most in-ground swimming pools, which controls the flow of water pulled into the filtering system. The word likely originated from Middle English were , Old English wer , a derivative of the root of the verb werian, meaning "to defend, dam". The German cognate is Wehr , which means the same as English weir. Commonly, weirs are used to prevent flooding , measure water discharge, and help render rivers more navigable by boat. In some locations,

742-431: Is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. There are many weir designs, but commonly water flows freely over the top of the weir crest before cascading down to a lower level. There is no single definition as to what constitutes

795-405: Is a flat-crested structure, where the water passes over a crest that covers much or all of the channel width. This is one of the most common types of weir found worldwide. A compound weir is any weir that comprises several different designs into one structure. They are commonly seen in locations where a river has multiple users who may need to bypass the structure. A common design would be one where

848-473: Is a generic relationship and specific calculations are available for the many different types of weir. Flow measurement weirs must be well maintained if they are to remain accurate. The flow over a V-notch weir (in ft /s) is given by the Kindsvater–Shen equation: where As weirs are a physical barrier, they can impede the longitudinal movement of fish and other animals up and down a river. This can have

901-516: Is privately owned (by a deed that gives ownership over that section of river down to the bedrock). The most recent idea, proposed by the Massena Electric Company, calls for a small one-turbine hydroelectric dam to be constructed about a half-mile downriver from the old weir. Fran%C3%A7ois Joseph Paul de Grasse François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, Marquis of Grasse-Tilly , SMOM (13 September 1722 – 11 January 1788)

954-584: The Franco-American alliance , and France entered the war on behalf of the rebels and against Great Britain. As a commander of a division, Comte de Grasse served under Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers at the First Battle of Ushant from July 23 to 27, 1778. The battle, fought off Brittany , was indecisive. In 1779, he joined the fleet of Comte d'Estaing in the Caribbean as commander of

1007-464: The Caribbean islands. De Grasse was released to return to France, where he was strongly criticized for his defeat in the Caribbean. He published a Mémoire justificatif and demanded a court-martial . An inquiry into the events of the battle started in 1783, ending in 1784 in acquittal for most of the officers involved, including de Grasse. De Grasse was a Commander of the Order of St. Louis and

1060-588: The Caribbean. He was less fortunate in 1782 and was defeated at the Battle of St. Kitts by Admiral Hood . Shortly afterward, in April 1782, Admiral de Grasse was again defeated, and taken prisoner by Admiral Rodney at the Battle of the Saintes . He initially sailed with the British fleet to Port Royal, Jamaica but after a period of only around one week was permitted to leave on the first convoy to England. Here he

1113-447: The Caribbean. In 1782, a British fleet under Admiral George Rodney defeated and captured de Grasse at the Battle of the Saintes . De Grasse was widely criticised for his defeat in the battle. On his return to France in 1784, he blamed his captains for the defeat. A court-martial exonerated all of his captains, effectively ending his naval career. François-Joseph de Grasse was born and raised at Bar-sur-Loup in south-eastern France,

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1166-617: The French Caribbean fleet was based. De Grasse landed the French reinforcements in Virginia. Immediately afterward he decisively defeated the British fleet in the Battle of the Chesapeake in September 1781. He drew away the British forces and blockaded the coast until Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, ensuring the independence of the new United States of America . De Grasse returned his fleet to

1219-486: The Grasse is a docking area which contains a large floating crane with replacement doors for the locks, and the tugboat Robinson Bay , which is used for icebreaking in the spring. High levels of PCB contaminate the last several miles of the Grasse, the most significant being located near the old powerhouse and at a drainage outlet on the river for the Alcoa plant located north. Alcoa has spent years cleaning this section of

1272-603: The Northern Branch and Southern Branch, lay claim as the ultimate source. The southern branch is the dominant flow of the river, feeding off Moosehead Pond and Little Moosehead Pond, and is located near the hamlet of Degrasse. The weaker northern branch is fed from smaller ponds such as Clear Pond , Bullhead Pond and Horseshoe Pond near the hamlet of Russell, and runs through the Grasse River Wild Forest Reserve . The two branches meet in

1325-502: The bottom, and swim or crawl downstream". As the hydraulic jump entrains air, the buoyancy of the water between the dam and boil line will be reduced by upward of 30%, and if a victim is unable to float, escape at the base of the dam may be the only option for survival. There are many different types of weirs and they can vary from a simple stone structure that is barely noticeable, to elaborate and very large structures that require extensive management and maintenance. A broad-crested weir

1378-406: The cement and brick structure of the old powerhouse remains, without any equipment inside the original buildings. The river from the old powerhouse onwards is calm and level to its mouth in the St. Lawrence River. This section of the river is the only section that can be traversed by motor or power boats, but activity is light as Lake St. Lawrence is the draw for boating in the area (which is behind

1431-501: The change in height of the water can then be used to power waterwheels and power sawmills, grinding wheels, and other equipment. Weirs are commonly used to control the flow rates of rivers during periods of high discharge. Sluice gates (or in some cases the height of the weir crest) can be altered to increase or decrease the volume of water flowing downstream. Weirs for this purpose are commonly found upstream of towns and villages and can either be automated or manually operated. By slowing

1484-505: The crest of an overflow spillway on a large dam may therefore be referred to as a weir. Weirs can vary in size both horizontally and vertically, with the smallest being only a few centimetres in height whilst the largest may be many metres tall and hundreds of metres long. Some common weir purposes are outlined below. Weirs allow hydrologists and engineers a simple method of measuring the volumetric flow rate in small to medium-sized streams/rivers or in industrial discharge locations. Since

1537-414: The design of a weir that ensure that fish can bypass the barriers and access upstream habitats. Unlike dams, weirs do not usually prevent downstream fish migration (as water flows over the top and allows fish to bypass the structure in that water), although they can create flow conditions that injure juvenile fish. Recent studies suggest that navigation locks have also potential to provide increased access for

1590-602: The geometry of the top of the weir is known and all water flows over the weir, the depth of water behind the weir can be converted to a rate of flow. However, this can only be achieved in locations where all water flows over the top of the weir crest (as opposed to around the sides or through conduits or sluices) and at locations where the water that flows over the crest is carried away from the structure. If these conditions are not met, it can make flow measurement complicated, inaccurate, or even impossible. The discharge calculation can be summarised as where However, this calculation

1643-514: The hamlet of Chase Mills near Coles Creek State Park on the St. Lawrence River . From Chase Mills, the river begins its northeasterly path into the town of Louisville passing through a series of small rapids or waterfalls, depending on the amount of water flowing. The river then flows into the township and village of Massena , passing by the Massena Rod & Gun Club on the northern bank, in

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1696-544: The hamlets of Morley and Bucks Bridge into the town of Madrid . The first of two major dams was built several yards west of New York State Route 345 in Madrid hamlet . Just south of the dam is the Madrid Municipal Park , which hosts several large events during the summer season. The Madrid Country Club is located upriver from the park on the northern bank. From this point, the river flows northwards to

1749-619: The last child of Francois de Grasse Rouville, Marquis de Grasse. He earned his title and supported his Provençal family. De Grasse married Antoinette Rosalie Accaron in 1764, and they had six children who survived to adulthood, among them his eldest son Alexandre Francois Auguste de Grasse . Auguste had a career in the French army and inherited his father's title as count in 1788. His younger brother Maxime died young in 1773. They had four sisters: Amélie Rosalie Maxime, Adélaide, Melanie Veronique Maxime, and Silvie de Grasse. Silvie married M. Francis de Pau in Charleston, South Carolina , and raised

1802-491: The late 1990s, the midsection of the weir was breached and now lies several yards away from the dam. The river continues to cut through the village of Massena to the eastern borders, where the old Massena Power Canal connects with the river. This canal was constructed by the Pittsburgh Reduction Company (now Alcoa ) in the 1900s. The canal connects the Grasse River with the St. Lawrence River and

1855-423: The maximum height a species can jump or creates flow conditions that cannot be bypassed (e.g., due to excessive water velocity) effectively limits the maximum point upstream that fish can migrate. In some cases this can mean that huge lengths of breeding habitat are lost, and over time this can have a significant impact on fish populations. In many countries, it is now a legal requirement to build fish ladders into

1908-506: The mining of various ores . On the St. Lawrence Valley floor, the pine forests were razed and the land used for agriculture, and later for industry. The Grasse River, along with the other tributaries to the St. Lawrence River , served as a water power source for several mills in the towns and hamlets along its course. Almost none of these mills has survived, but stone foundations, burned out furnaces, and other ancient structures can be located along its banks. Several Old World dams exist along

1961-540: The path of the Grasse River. Its so-called "twin" sister river, the Raquette , contains a series of old and new age hydropower dams. The Grasse River makes its way through many small hamlets and two major towns, Massena and Canton . From the town of Russell where its two source branches meet, the river makes its way into the village of Canton flowing mostly north away from the Adirondack foothills. It flows past

2014-413: The rate at which water moves downstream even slightly, a disproportionate effect can be had on the likelihood of flooding. On larger rivers, a weir can also alter the flow characteristics of the waterway to the point that vessels are able to navigate areas previously inaccessible due to extreme currents or eddies . Many larger weirs will have construction features that allow boats and river users to "shoot

2067-419: The river bottom cap. It has also caused major erosion of the shoreline along this section of the river, due to the ice gouging it out during the spring ice flows. In 2005, a company was hired by ALCOA to remove the chemicals from the riverbed near what is known as "Outfall One", one of the factory's water drainages just downriver from the powerhouse. The river bottom was removed and piped into machines where it

2120-427: The river bottom) that reduces the water oxygen content and smothers invertebrate habitat and fish spawning sites. The oxygen content typically returns to normal once water has passed over the weir crest (although it can be hyper-oxygenated), although increased river velocity can scour the river bed causing erosion and habitat loss. Weirs can have a significant effect on fish migration . Any weir that exceeds either

2173-400: The river. In an early attempt at cleanup, the company "capped" the river bottom so that the chemicals could not be released. This plan failed due to the weir break in the village of Massena and resulting ice flows. Before its breach, this weir had kept ice upriver longer, allowing it to melt. Since it was breached, larger pieces of ice now flow down this section of the river and have breached

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2226-410: The terms dam and weir are synonymous, but normally there is a clear distinction made between the structures. Usually, a dam is designed specifically to impound water behind a wall, whilst a weir is designed to alter the river flow characteristics. A common distinction between dams and weirs is that water flows over the top (crest) of a weir or underneath it for at least some of its length. Accordingly,

2279-620: The town of Louisville. The Grasse River defines the northern edge of Massena's downtown district. At the southern end of the village, the Raquette River was the location of the Massena Health Spa and Health Spring. Located several yards east of the downtown bridge on the Grasse River is the second remaining major dam of the river, known as the Downtown Dam or " weir ", standing only 3–4 feet (1 m) tall. In

2332-585: The town of Russell and form the main branch of the river, which slowly grows along its northeasterly track. This area of New York was first explored in the 1790s as part of the Macomb's Purchase , in which Alexander Macomb , a wealthy Revolutionary-Era American merchant purchased 3.6 million acres (15,000 km²) from New York State at 12 cents an acre. This area was divided into counties and townships which were established between 1800 and 1815. The area thrived on thick pine forests, stone quarries and

2385-515: The water level can rise and submerge the weir without any alterations made to the structure. A polynomial weir is a weir that has a geometry defined by a polynomial equation of any order n . In practice, most weirs are low-order polynomial weirs. The standard rectangular weir is, for example, a polynomial weir of order zero. The triangular (V-notch) and trapezoidal weirs are of order one. High-order polynomial weirs are providing wider range of Head-Discharge relationships, and hence better control of

2438-546: The weir" and navigate by passing up or down stream without having to exit the river. Weirs constructed for this purpose are especially common on the River Thames , and most are situated near each of the river's 45 locks . Because a weir impounds water behind it and alters the flow regime of the river, it can have an effect on the local ecology . Typically, the reduced river velocity upstream can lead to increased siltation (deposition of fine particles of silt and clay on

2491-685: The youngest, married and moved with her husband to New York City. After returning to France in the early 1800s after Napoleon came to power, Auguste de Grasse resumed his military career, this time in the army. In his later years, he wrote a memoir about his father and his own travels in the New World, published in 1840 as Notice biographique sur l'amiral comte de Grasse d'après les documents inédits . The French Navy has named two vessels in his honour: The United States Navy has had three vessels named in his honour: Citations References Weir A weir / w ɪər / or low-head dam

2544-644: Was a French Navy officer and nobleman. He is best known for his strategically decisive victory over the British while in command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781 in the last year of the American Revolutionary War . It directly led to the Franco-American victory at the siege of Yorktown and helped secure the independence of the United States . After this action, de Grasse returned with his fleet to

2597-503: Was cleaned and deposited in a private landfill on ALCOA's property. ALCOA is also working on plans to prevent large chunks of ice from moving down this section of river. Early plans called for large cement barriers to be built in the town of Louisville, but those plans have met some opposition from local residents. Other ideas have included repairing and/or rebuilding the downtown weir in Massena, but many problems have cropped up. The weir

2650-603: Was intermittently stationed in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, from the 1760s to 1781. Following Britain's victory over the French in the Seven Years' War , de Grasse helped rebuild the French navy in the years after the Treaty of Paris (1763) . In 1775, the American War of Independence broke out when American colonists rebelled against British rule. France supplied the colonists with covert aid, but remained officially neutral until 1778. The Treaty of Alliance established

2703-547: Was known as Azar Le Guen. De Grasse brought the boy back to Paris with him for his education and formally adopted him, naming him George de Grasse. After his father's death, the young man went to the United States by 1799, where he settled in New York City. He worked for a time for Aaron Burr , likely meeting him through a connection of his father's. Burr gave him two lots of land in Manhattan, and George de Grasse became

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2756-493: Was landed on Southsea beach, allegedly to much applause. In August he was granted an audience with King George III and was re-presented with his own sword, surrendered to Rodney at The Saintes. He was taken to London for a time. While there, he briefly took part in the negotiations that laid the foundations for the Peace of Paris (1783) , which brought the American Revolutionary War to an end. It also realigned control of some of

2809-466: Was used to supply a hydropower dam. The dam was one of the first ten hydro-dams built in the United States, operating until 1956 when the St. Lawrence River was flooded for the St. Lawrence Seaway Project. The St. Lawrence River end of the canal is blocked off by a massive wall, known as the Massena Intake (the village water supply is also drawn in through this wall). On the Grasse River end,

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