The Kadono Oi (weirs) located on the river, are believed to have been built by the Hata clan around the sixth century, who ruled the riverside of the Katsura-gawa River such as Saga and Matsuo.
嵯峨や松尾などの桂川流域を支配していた秦氏が、6世紀頃に桂川に堰堤を築いたとされる（葛野大堰）。