Leonardo da Vinci studied sluice gates for controlling water in canals.
A sluice gate is a movable barrier that regulates the flow and level of water. Leonardo investigated canals extensively in northern Italy, where water transport, irrigation, drainage, and flood control were major engineering concerns. His notebooks include studies of gates, channels, locks, and methods for directing water.
Canal gates were especially important in Lombardy, where Milan and surrounding areas relied on an interconnected network of waterways. A well-designed gate could admit water, hold it back, or divert it into another channel. Leonardo’s observations combined practical hydraulic work with his interest in currents, erosion, and water pressure.
A sluice gate is not the same as a lock gate. A lock uses gates and a chamber to raise or lower boats between water levels; a sluice primarily controls water flow. Leonardo worked on both canal transportation and water-control problems, which is why descriptions of his hydraulic projects can sometimes overlap.