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This flood also prompted the city of [[Lowell, Massachusetts]] to drop the flood-controlling Francis Gate for only the third time in its 150 years of service. When lowered, the Francis gate seals the city's canal system off from its source on the Merrimack. The Great Gate, as it is also called, was built in 1850 under the direction of [[James B. Francis]]. Considered unnecessary when it was first constructed, "Francis' Folly" saved the center of Lowell from overflowing canals in 1852 and 1936. However, technically, the gate was not dropped in 2006 since a more modern bulkhead of 16 inch by 16 inch steel beams constructed against the side of the Francis Gatehouse was used instead.
The most significant flood in the recorded history of the Merrimack was in March of 1936, when a double flood of rain and melting snow and ice swelled the Merrimack to 68.4 feet, 10 feet higher than the 2006 flood. The [[Jack Kerouac]] book ''[[Doctor Sax]]''
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