Lock and Dam No. 13
Encyclopedia
Lock and Dam No. 13 is a lock
and dam
located on the Upper Mississippi River
above Fulton, Illinois
and Clinton, Iowa
. This facility offers visitors a view of the barges and boats locking through on the widest pool in the Upper Mississippi River.
The movable portion of the dam is 1066 feet (324.9 m) long and consists of ten tainter gate
s and three roller gates
. The non-movable portion of the dam continues toward the Iowa shore with a 200 feet (61 m) storage yard, a 728 feet (221.9 m) non-submersible dike, a 1650 feet (502.9 m) submersible dike, and a 1315 feet (400.8 m) non-submersible dike with two 90 feet (27.4 m) transitional sections between the submersible and non-submersible sections. There is also an 8940 feet (2,724.9 m) non-submersible dike on the Illinois side east of the locks. The main lock is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long and like most other sites in the project, it has a smaller, unfinished, auxiliary lock. In 2004, the facility was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
as Lock and Dam No. 13 Historic District, #04000173 covering 2542 acres (10.3 km²), 1 building, 6 structures, and 4 objects.
This lock and dam represent the man-made exit from the Driftless Area, where shipping has to travel a few feet above bedrock over the 9 feet (2.7 m) shipping channel. It's about 522 feet (159.1 m) above sea level.
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 Mississippi River
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...
above Fulton, Illinois
Fulton, Illinois
Fulton is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,481 at the 2010 census, down from 3,881 at the 2000 census. Fulton is located across the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa.-Geography:...
and Clinton, Iowa
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26231as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa , was named in honor of the seventh governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical...
. This facility offers visitors a view of the barges and boats locking through on the widest pool in the Upper Mississippi River.
The movable portion of the dam is 1066 feet (324.9 m) long and consists of ten 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 :...
. The non-movable portion of the dam continues toward the Iowa shore with a 200 feet (61 m) storage yard, a 728 feet (221.9 m) non-submersible dike, a 1650 feet (502.9 m) submersible dike, and a 1315 feet (400.8 m) non-submersible dike with two 90 feet (27.4 m) transitional sections between the submersible and non-submersible sections. There is also an 8940 feet (2,724.9 m) non-submersible dike on the Illinois side east of the locks. The main lock is 110 feet (33.5 m) wide by 600 feet (182.9 m) long and like most other sites in the project, it has a smaller, unfinished, 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. 13 Historic District, #04000173 covering 2542 acres (10.3 km²), 1 building, 6 structures, and 4 objects.
This lock and dam represent the man-made exit from the Driftless Area, where shipping has to travel a few feet above bedrock over the 9 feet (2.7 m) shipping channel. It's about 522 feet (159.1 m) above sea level.