This photo shows the "Chaff" Bridge, the fourth pedestrian bridge on this stretch of the river, as seen from the third bridge. The Chaff Bridge is the oldest bridge in Lucerne. It got its name from the fact that the millers would use the constant breeze in the area to separate wheat from the chaff. There's a millrace on the right end of the bridge. The contraption in the front of the photo is part of the "Needle" Dam. This is a temporary dam that can be put into place across part of the river here to control the water level on Lake Lucerne. The more of the dam is in place, the more water is left in the lake. These platforms gradually block the left side of the river, forcing most of the water to go down the right side, where the millrace controls the water flow. At the moment, just a short section of the dam is in place (the neeele-like projections are the only part visible) so the water flows quite freely. The bottom part of each of these panels fits into a permanent slot at the bottom of the river, which holds them in place. Lucerne, Switzerland.

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