Bosher Dam, Gravity dam in Henrico County, United States.
Bosher Dam is a stone gravity structure that crosses the James River west of Richmond, standing about 12 feet (4 meters) tall. It holds back water between the Tuckahoe and Richmond regions, creating a calmer pool upstream.
Construction began in 1840 as part of the James River and Kanawha Canal project to support transportation. It replaced an earlier structure that was designed to trap fish between wooden slats.
The dam created a section of the James River that serves as a recreation spot for boating, skiing, and fishing. Local people use this area regularly for water-based activities that connect them to the river's resources.
A fish ladder built in 1999 helps migratory fish such as shad, herring, and striped bass pass around the dam. The area remains an active water management structure, so water levels may change depending on conditions upstream.
The dam creates a calm water pool covering roughly 1,000 acres on an otherwise rocky river section. This smooth surface stands in sharp contrast to the rapids and falls that surround it both upstream and downstream.
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