List of locks and dams of the Ohio River

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.

File:Ohio River Locks and Dams Navigation System.jpg

A map and diagram of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated locks and dams on the Ohio River.

Evolution of navigation on the Ohio River

In the early days of steamboat 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 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.

Canalization

The amount of coal transported down river from Pittsburgh jumped greatly following the Civil War. 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 1,200-foot by 110-foot chamber to accommodate fifteen barges that can lock through in one maneuver.

Key

      Dam produces hydroelectricity.
      Project is currently under construction.
      Locks and/or dam are in the process of being replaced.

RDB	Right Descending Bank
LDB	Left Descending Bank

Downstream, Pittsburgh to Olmsted

Locks & Dam	Location	Coordinates	River Mile	Lock Side	Lock Lift/Drop (in feet)	Pool Elevation (feet above sea level)	Pool Length (miles)
Pennsylvania
Emsworth Locks and Dam	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania		6.2	RDB	18	710	6.2+
Dashields Locks and Dam	Coraopolis, Pennsylvania		13.3	LDB	10	692	7.1
Montgomery Locks and Dam	Monaca, Pennsylvania		31.7	LDB	18	682	18.4
Ohio - West Virginia
New Cumberland Locks and Dam	Stratton, Ohio		54.3	RDB	21	664	22.6
Pike Island Locks and Dam	Wheeling, West Virginia		84.2	LDB	21	644	29.9
Hannibal Locks and Dam	Hannibal, Ohio		126.4	RDB	21	623	42.2
Willow Island Locks and DamH	Newport, Ohio		161.7	RDB	20	602	35.3
Belleville Locks and Dam	Reedsville, Ohio		203.9	RDB	22	582	42.2
Racine Locks and Dam	Letart, West Virginia		237.5	LDB	22	560	33.6
Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam	Gallipolis Ferry, West Virginia		279.2	LDB	23	538	41.7
Ohio - Kentucky
Greenup Locks and Dam	Greenup, Kentucky		341.0	LDB	30	515	61.8
Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks and Dam	Foster, Kentucky		436.2	RDB	30	485	95.2
Indiana - Kentucky
Markland Locks and Dam	Warsaw, Kentucky		531.5	LDB	35	455	95.3
McAlpine Locks and Dam	Louisville, Kentucky		606.8	LDB	37	420	75.3
Cannelton Locks and DamH	Cannelton, Indiana		720.7	RDB	25	383	113.9
Newburgh Locks and Dam	Newburgh, Indiana		776.1	RDB	16	358	55.4
John T. Myers Locks and Dam	Mt. Vernon, Indiana		846.0	RDB	18	342	69.9
Illinois - Kentucky
Smithland Locks and DamH	Hamletsburg, Illinois		918.5	RDB	22	324	72.5
Locks and Dam Number 52	Brookport, Illinois		938.9	RDB	12	302	20.4
Locks and Dam Number 53	Grand Chain, Illinois		962	RDB	≤17	290	23.7
Olmsted Locks and Dam	Olmsted, Illinois		964.4	RDB	≤30	--	46.0

Footnotes

• ^H These dams have upcoming hydroelectric construction projects.
  • Smithland, Cannelton, Meldahl and Willow Island
• ^L Locations may be the nearest city or town to the locks and dam and not their actual geographical location.

See also

• List of crossings of the Ohio River
• List of locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi River
• United States Army Corps of Engineers

References

General

Specific

External links

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District