The Cannelton Locks and Dam is a
tainter-gated dam with two
locks on the
Ohio River, on the border between the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sov ...
s of
Indiana and
Kentucky. The dam is southeast of
Cannelton, Indiana
Cannelton is a city in Troy Township, Perry County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,563 at the 2010 census. Cannelton, which was the smallest incorporated city in the state until 2010, was formerly the c ...
. Construction of the locks began in July 1963. The locks began operation in December 1966 and were completed April 1967. Construction on the dam started in August 1965 and the dam was completed in 1974. The structure was designed, built, and is operated by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District.
Dam
The Cannelton Dam is located at
river mile
A river mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the river kilometer. They are analogous to vehicle ro ...
720.7 (measured from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and has two sections. The main section is long with twelve
tainter gate. The gates are held between piers. Each gate is high and long. Electric hoists on top of the piers are used to raise or lower the gates. At the end of the gated section of the dam there is second section, a concrete fixed
weir on the Kentucky side of the river. The weir is long.
Locks
The Cannelton Locks run parallel to each other on the Indiana side of the river. There are two locks alongside the dam, the main lock which measures by and the auxiliary lock that is by . The locks can be filled or emptied in around 8 minutes.
The upper pool is normally at an elevation of , mean sea level and the lower pool elevation is , mean sea level. The lift (difference) between the two pool is .
of water is required to operate the lock.
The locks reduce travel time because it enables large commercial tows to go through only one lockage rather than the three locks it replaced. Also the large lock chamber allows a large vessels to pass through the lock in a single operation instead of using smaller lock sections.
Authorization and construction
On January 27, 1960, the project was approved by
Secretary of the Army,
Wilber Marion Brucker
Wilber Marion Brucker (June 23, 1894 – October 28, 1968)
was an American Republican politician. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, he served as the 32nd governor of Michigan from 1931 to 1933 and as the United States Secretary of the Army betwee ...
. Under the authority of Section 6 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act
Rivers and Harbors Act may refer to one of many pieces of legislation and appropriations passed by the United States Congress since the first such legislation in 1824. At that time Congress appropriated $75,000 to improve navigation on the Ohio and ...
, approved March 3, 1909, the existing Locks 43, 44 and 45 were replaced. The construction of the locks began in July 1963. The locks began operation in December 1966 and were completed April 1967. Construction on the dam started in August 1965 and the dam was completed in 1974. The structure was designed, built, and is operated by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District.
There were of overlook property that was initially built during the construction project. In 1995, the property was excessed to the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with ot ...
for use as a
wildlife habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
.
Hydroelectric power
American Municipal Power (AMP) is currently outfitting the dam to divert water to three
bulb turbines to generate an average gross annual output of approximately 458 million
kilowatt-hours (kWh). The project includes the construction of an intake approach channel, a concrete
powerhouse, and a
tailrace channel. The powerhouse will contain three horizontal 28
MW bulb-type turbine and generating unit with total rated capacity of 84
MW at a
gross head of . Construction began in 2009. Excavation and cofferdam construction was completed in 2010. Powerhouse construction began in 2011. All concrete work on the powerhouse has been completed and work has begun on the interior. The project that will cost an estimated $416 million. The plant reached full commercial operation in June 2016.
See also
*
List of locks and dams of the Ohio River
References
External links
US Army Corps of Engineers: Cannelton Locks and DamAdvanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Ohio River at Cannelton Lock National Weather Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannelton Locks and Dam
Dams in Indiana
Dams in Kentucky
Buildings and structures in Hancock County, Kentucky
Dams on the Ohio River
Transportation buildings and structures in Perry County, Indiana
Buildings and structures in Perry County, Indiana
United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
Locks of Indiana
Locks of Kentucky
Hydroelectric power plants in Ohio
Hydroelectric power plants in Indiana