A Wintertime River Walk

We've had a warm winter so far, but the Otter is starting to ice up.  The river continues to run by the falls...

... but is starting to close in downstream.

I like walking by the water this time of year.  There were a few snowflakes in the air.  The birds were silent, and the river was quiet.

I stopped to look at some of the old brick buildings by the basin.  A few of the buildings used to be old warehouses.  They were converted to homes years ago.

I came across an old print that showed a number of buildings along the river by the basin back over 100 years ago when the steamships came up the Otter.  The brick buildings were in the print, but a number of other warehouses were there.  They are long-gone, but a few of their foundations still exist.

It amazes me how much things have changed over time...

Old Water Works

On a ride yesterday, I noticed the remnants of an old water works near the road (on Route 79 east of the town of Richford, NY).

(Sorry about the picture quality - I had to splice a couple of cell phone photos together...)

A small stream follows the road, and a man-made foundation for a water wheel of related water works was evident.  The grade of the stream on this section is around 7%.  I assume it was for either an undershot or breastshot wheel.  You could also see where the channel was lined / surfaced with concrete.   I'd love to know more about this structure. I need to ask the local historical society for more info. Any thoughts?