Lock and Dam No. 12
Encyclopedia
Lock and Dam No. 12 is a lock
and dam
located on the Upper
Mississippi River
at Bellevue
, Iowa
, United States
. The movable portion of the dam starts at the locks adjacent to the Iowa
shore and is 849 feet (258.8 m) long, consisting of seven tainter gate
s and three roller gates
. It connects to a 200 feet (61 m) foot storage yard and continues toward the Illinois
shore with a 2750 feet (838.2 m) non-submersible dike, a 1200 feet (365.8 m) submersible dike and a 3130 feet (954 m) non-submersible dike. The non-submersible sections are separated from the submersible section with two 120 feet (36.6 m) transitional dikes. The main lock is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long there is also an incomplete auxiliary lock. In 2004, the facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
as Lock and Dam No. 12 Historic District, #04000172 covering 1017 acres (4.1 km²), 1 building, 3 structures, and 4 objects.
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
and dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
located on the Upper
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
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...
at Bellevue
Bellevue, Iowa
Bellevue is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,350 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the Mississippi River , next to Bellevue State Park....
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The movable portion of the dam starts at the locks adjacent to the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
shore and is 849 feet (258.8 m) long, consisting of seven tainter gate
Tainter gate
The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter....
s and three roller gates
Roller dam
A Roller dam is a type of hydro-control device specially designed to mitigate erosion. They are most often used to divert water for irrigation but the largest and most notable examples are used to ease river navigation.- Use :...
. It connects to a 200 feet (61 m) foot storage yard and continues toward the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
shore with a 2750 feet (838.2 m) non-submersible dike, a 1200 feet (365.8 m) submersible dike and a 3130 feet (954 m) non-submersible dike. The non-submersible sections are separated from the submersible section with two 120 feet (36.6 m) transitional dikes. The main lock is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long there is also an incomplete auxiliary lock. In 2004, the facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Lock and Dam No. 12 Historic District, #04000172 covering 1017 acres (4.1 km²), 1 building, 3 structures, and 4 objects.