List of locks and dams of the Ohio River
Encyclopedia
This is a list of locks and dams of the Ohio River, which begins at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...

 of the Allegheny
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

 and Monongahela
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...

 rivers at the Point in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

 and ends at the confluence of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 near Cairo, Illinois
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...

.

Evolution of navigation on the Ohio River

In the early days of steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

 navigation on the Ohio River the major physical hurdle that delayed travel was the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

. Steamboats could only maneuver over the falls during times of high water, which were not consistent. It was more practical for the steamboats to drop off passengers and freight on one end of the falls and transport them over land to the opposite end of the falls to another steamboat. This resulted in Louisville becoming a customary last stop for vessels on both legs of the Ohio. If a steamboat desired to travel unimpeded though the falls without waiting for high water a canal and lock system was needed in order to circumvent the falls.

In 1825, construction began on that canal and by the year 1830 the privately financed Louisville and Portland Canal
Louisville and Portland Canal
The Louisville and Portland Canal was a canal bypassing the Falls of the Ohio in the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1830, and was operated by the Louisville and Portland Canal Company until 1874, and became the McAlpine Locks and Dam in 1962 after heavy modernization.Although...

 was finished. The canal was constructed by hand tools with the help of animal drawn scrappers and carts. The completed canal was two miles long with three locking chambers that created a total lift of 26 feet.

Canalization

The amount of coal transported down river from Pittsburgh jumped greatly following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. The size of the tows also grew with the amount of coal hauled. Due to the escalating coal trade the US Army Corps of Engineers began studying for methods to produce a reliable navigation depth on the Ohio. The Corps launched an international study to analyze other navigation projects worldwide. They determined that building a system of locks and dams to form pools was best solution to their problem.

Following the opening of the lock and dam at Davis Island
Davis Island (Pennsylvania)
Davis Island is a small island located on the Ohio River in Stowe Township, just upstream of Neville Island near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....

 in 1885, the venture proved to be worthy. In 1910, the Rivers and Harbors Act was authorized by Congress. The Act allowed the production of a system of locks and dams along the Ohio. In 1929, the canalization project on the Ohio River was finished. The project produced 51 wooden wicket dams and 600 foot by 110 foot lock chambers along the length of the river.

During the 1940s, a shift from steam propelled to diesel powered towboats allowed for tows longer than the 600 foot locks on the river. This meant barges had to be locked in two phases. This operation was dangerous and time consuming. It backed up river traffic and increased expenses for the towing industry. The Corps initiated the Ohio River Navigation Modernization Program in the 1950s. The programs purpose was to replace the system of outdated wicket dams and small locks. The new dams were non-navigable and made of concrete and steel. Each dam has two adjoining locks, one 600 foot by 110 foot chamber, and a 1200 foot by 110 foot chamber to accommodate fifteen barges that can lock through in one maneuver.

Key




RDB Right Descending Bank
LDB Left Descending Bank


Downstream, Pittsburgh to Olmsted

Locks & Dam River Mile Lock Side Lock Lift/Drop
(in feet)
Pool Elevation
(feet above sea level)
Pool Length
(miles)
Emsworth Locks and Dam Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

6.2 RDB 18 710 6.2+
Dashields Locks and Dam Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,677 at the 2010 census. In 1940 the population peaked at 11,086. It is a small community located to the west of Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsburgh International Airport...

13.3 LDB 10 692 7.1
Montgomery Locks and Dam Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...

31.7 LDB 18 682 18.4
New Cumberland Locks and Dam Stratton, Ohio
Stratton, Ohio
Stratton is a village in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 277 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. A major local employer is the W. H...

54.3 RDB 21 664 22.6
Pike Island Locks and Dam Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...

84.2 LDB 21 644 29.9
Hannibal Locks and Dam
Hannibal Locks and Dam
The Hannibal Locks and Dam are a United States Army Corps of Engineers concrete locks and lift gate dam, located at river mile marker 126.4 on the Ohio River near Hannibal, Ohio. The locks and dam were built to replace the wicket-type locks and dams Number 12, 13 and 14. Construction on the locks...

Hannibal, Ohio
Hannibal, Ohio
Hannibal is a census-designated place in eastern Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43931. It lies along State Route 7....

126.4 RDB 21 623 42.2
Willow Island Locks and Dam Newport, Ohio 161.7 RDB 20 602 35.3
Belleville Locks and Dam Reedsville, Ohio
Reedsville, Ohio
Reedsville is an unincorporated community in eastern Olive Township, Meigs County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 45772.It lies along the Ohio River, below Hockingport and above Long Bottom....

203.9 RDB 22 582 42.2
Racine Locks and Dam Letart, West Virginia
Letart, West Virginia
Letart is an unincorporated community in Mason County, West Virginia, United States. It is located on the Ohio River.Letart is part of the Point Pleasant, WV–OH Micropolitan Statistical Area....

237.5 LDB 22 560 33.6
Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam Gallipolis Ferry, West Virginia
Gallipolis Ferry, West Virginia
Gallipolis Ferry is an unincorporated census-designated place in Mason County, West Virginia, United States, on the Ohio River located along WV 2. As of the 2010 census, its population was 817. It is the site of the Robert C. Byrd Locks & Dam on the Ohio...

279.2 LDB 23 538 41.7
Greenup Locks and Dam Greenup, Kentucky
Greenup, Kentucky
Greenup is a city in Greenup County, Kentucky, at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Sandy Rivers. The population was 1,198 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greenup County. Greenup is named in honor of Christopher Greenup....

341.0 LDB 30 515 61.8
Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks and Dam
Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks and Dam
The Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks and Dam is a non-navigable river control dam with an associated lock, located at mile marker 436 on the Ohio River. The dam has a top length of with a fixed weir and a open crest. At normal pool elevation the length is upstream encompassing an area of...

Felicity, Ohio
Felicity, Ohio
Felicity is a village in Clermont County, Ohio, United States. The population was 922 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Felicity is located at ....

436.2 RDB 30 485 95.2
Markland Locks and Dam Warsaw, Kentucky
Warsaw, Kentucky
Warsaw is a city in Gallatin County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,811 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gallatin County It was named after Warsaw, Poland .-Geography:...

531.5 LDB 35 455 95.3
McAlpine Locks and Dam
McAlpine Locks and Dam
The McAlpine Locks and Dam refers to the series of locks and the hydroelectric dam in Louisville, Kentucky at the Falls of the Ohio. They are located at mile point 606.8 and control a 72.9 mile long navigation pool...

Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

606.8 LDB 37 420 75.3
Cannelton Locks and Dam
Cannelton Locks and Dam
The Cannelton Locks and Dam is a concrete dam connected to two locks on the Ohio River at river mile 720.8. It is three miles upstream from Cannelton, Indiana...

Cannelton, Indiana
Cannelton, Indiana
Cannelton is a city in Troy Township, Perry County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,209 at the 2000 census. Cannelton, which is the smallest incorporated city in the state, was formerly the county seat of Perry County until the seat was relocated to Tell City...

720.7 RDB 25 383 113.9
Newburgh Locks and Dam Newburgh, Indiana
Newburgh, Indiana
Newburgh is a town in Ohio Township, Warrick County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,325 at the 2010 census, which also recorded a population of 342,815 for the entire Evansville metropolitan area.-Geography:...

776.1 RDB 16 358 55.4
John T. Myers Locks and Dam
John T. Myers Locks and Dam
The John T. Myers Locks and Dam is a United States Army Corps of Engineers facility on the Ohio River in Posey County, Indiana, and Union County, Kentucky. Formerly known as the Uniontown Locks and Dam, it was renamed by an act of Congress in 1996 as a tribute to recently retired Congressman John...

Mt. Vernon, Indiana 846.0 RDB 18 342 69.9
Smithland Locks and Dam Hamletsburg, Illinois
Hamletsburg, Illinois
Hamletsburg, Illinois is an unincorporated community in Pope County, Illinois, United States....

 
918.5 RDB 22 324 72.5
Locks and Dam Number 52 Brookport, Illinois
Brookport, Illinois
Brookport is a city in Massac County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,054 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Brookport is located at ....

938.9 RDB 12 302 20.4
Locks and Dam Number 53 Grand Chain, Illinois
New Grand Chain, Illinois
New Grand Chain is a village in Pulaski County, Illinois, United States. The population was 233 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Grand Chain is located at ....

962 RDB ≤17 290 23.7
Olmsted Locks and Dam
Olmsted Locks and Dam
The Olmsted Locks and Dam is a concrete dam and locks project currently under construction on the Ohio River at river mile 964.4. It is located near Olmsted, Illinois. The lock chambers will be wide and long.Source: US Army Corps of Engineers website...

Olmsted, Illinois
Olmsted, Illinois
Olmsted is a village in Pulaski County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. The population was 299 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Olmsted is located at ....

964.4 RDB ≤30 -- 46.0

Footnotes

These dams have upcoming hydroelectric construction projects.

See also


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK