I find it pretty easy to reverse the cliffs visually and then river actually reads pretty normal. The only problem is the ripple at the bottom of the cliff which looks weird when you make it the top. Either way though, the volume of the river looks far too significant for a dam made of wooden pilings and an uncontrolled very small sluice.

It's nice to see the progression of the town. The visual history just adds that depth to allow you to construct more interesting narratives in your head. It also makes me curious about the unfinished wall as it is specifically not a ruin but is also apparently abandoned so soon after being started.