MOUNT MORRIS, N.Y. — When the Mount Morris Dam was built for a cost of about $25 million in the early 1950s, it was seen as a way to prevent devastating floods along the Genesee River. Seven decades later it still stands strong, even as repairs are needed to keep it that way. 

This month, a helicopter moved concrete and equipment to the top of the dam, a move engineers say will help keep the dam functioning for years to come.

The spectacular structure that’s part of the spectacular view at Letchworth State Park — is a spectacle to see. The Mount Morris Dam also serves a crucial function.

“It is a cool place to work,” said Steve Winslow, the dam’s longtime manager.

Winslow manages the dam for the Army Corps of Engineers. This time of the year it doesn’t typically hold back much water.

“If you visited in the summertime when most folks do, it’s quite dry,” said Winslow. “And people wonder, why you need such a large dam? Is the capacity really needed?”

Dry conditions make summer the prime time for repairs to this 71-year-old, 230-foot high, 1,000-foot-plus wide slab of concrete and steel, which includes more than a mile of tunnels on the inside. A recent inspection found some cracking inside one of the tunnels.

“It's in an overflow area,” said Winslow. “That means it's not going to risk the dam structure itself.”

Construction on the Mount Morris Dam began in 1948 and was completed in 1952. The dam was built to last 50 years, making occasional repairs necessary. It’s inspected every day, and engineers do a periodic, top-to-bottom assessment every five years.

“We hear a lot about aging infrastructure. This is an example of it at 71 years old,” said Winslow. “The good thing is the Corps has taken very good care of this structure through time, and it's in very good shape.”

It has to be, given the reason why the dam was built in the first place. Years of flooding, as depicted in photos that are part of a display inside the dam visitor’s center, which shows downtown Rochester underwater — in 1865.

“It’s that kind of storm event, and the growing of the city that led to the search for some better flood risk management,” he said.

On occasion in recent years, water has risen perilously close to the top of the dam, which limits flow upriver. In the spring, water backed up by the dam can resemble a 200-foot deep lake, says Winslow, backing up as far as 17 miles. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates the dam, the largest of its kind east of the Mississippi River, has prevented more than $4 billion in flood damage through the years.

“And if the dam weren't here during those events, it would have just been absolutely catastrophic to downstream residents,” he said.

This is why hiring a helicopter to take pallets of concrete to places they can’t otherwise be carried is seen as a wise investment. Repairs will help shore up a dam that engineers say is already strong.

“It's not going to just fail, and then we got to put a new one,” said Winslow. “It's more of a reinvestment. Each generation, they face this. They look at what the costs are and what the benefits are, and right now the benefits of this structure far outweigh the cost.”

A reinvestment — to extend a life well-lived.

“It’s definitely paid for itself over and over again,” said Winslow. 

Aside from its crucial role in flood prevention along the Genesee River, the Mount Morris Dam is quite a tourist attraction, hosting sightseers not only from the Letchworth State Park side. Daily tours are also offered at the dam’s visitors center.