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
of the Allegheny
and Monongahela
rivers at the Point in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
and ends at the confluence of the Ohio River
and the Mississippi River
near Cairo, Illinois
.
navigation on the Ohio River the major physical hurdle that delayed travel was the Falls of the Ohio near Louisville, Kentucky
. 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
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.
. 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
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.
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 steamboatSteamboat
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 WarAmerican 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.-
- Cannelton, Smithland, Meldahl and Willow Island Hydroelectric ProjectsLocations may be the nearest city or town to the locks and dam and not their actual geographical location.
See also
- United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of EngineersThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
- List of locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi River