The McAlpine Locks and Dam are a set of
locks
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
and a
hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined a ...
at the
Falls of the Ohio
The Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area is a national, bi-state area on the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky in the United States, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Federal status was awarded in 1981. The fa ...
River at
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. They are located at mile point 606.8, and control a long navigation pool. The locks and their associated canal were the first major engineering project on the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...
, completed in 1830 as the
Louisville and Portland Canal
The Louisville and Portland Canal was a canal bypassing the Falls of the Ohio River at Louisville, Kentucky. The Falls form the only barrier to navigation between the origin of the Ohio at Pittsburgh and the port of New Orleans on the Gulf of Me ...
, designed to allow shipping traffic to navigate through the Falls of the Ohio.
History
From 1925 to 1927, the dam for generating
hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
was added, and the locks were expanded, first by a private company and then by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
. The hydroelectric plant at the time was the seventh largest hydroelectric plant in the United States.
The system was renamed the McAlpine Locks and Dam in 1960 in honor of William McAlpine, who was the only civilian to have ever served as district engineer for the Corps of Louisville. At present, the normal pool elevation is above sea level and the drainage area above the dam is 91,170 square miles (236,000 km
2). The average daily flow at McAlpine is 118,000 cubic feet per second (3,340 m³/s). The lock chambers are located at the dam on the Kentucky side of the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...
and are capable of a normal lift of between the McAlpine pool upstream and the
Cannelton pool downstream. The hydroelectric plant consists of eight turbine units with a net power generation capacity of 80,000 kilowatts.
In October 2003, McAlpine was designated a
Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
__NOTOC__
The following is a list of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks as designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers since it began the program in 1964. The designation is granted to projects, structures, and sites in the United State ...
by the
American Society of Civil Engineers
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
.
The McAlpine locks underwent a 10-year, $278 million expansion project scheduled to be completed in 2008, but was completed in early 2009.
Ownership
The hydroelectric plant is owned and operated by
Louisville Gas & Electric, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation while the locks are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.
See also
*
List of crossings of the Ohio River
*
List of locks and dams of the Ohio River
*
Transportation in Louisville, Kentucky
As with most American cities, transportation in Louisville, Kentucky is based primarily on automobiles. However, the city traces its foundation to the era where the river was the primary means of transportation, and railroads have been an importan ...
*
Gallery
Image:Diagram of Falls of the Ohio and Portland Canal in 1916.jpg, Chart of Falls of the Ohio and Portland Canal from 1916
Image:Locks and Dam No 41 navigation chart from 1934.jpg, Locks and Dam No 41 navigation chart from 1934
Image:McAlpine Locks and Dam navigation chart (detail) from 2010.jpg, McAlpine Locks and Dam navigation chart (detail) from 2010
Image:Aerial view of Falls of the Ohio and Locks and Dam No 41 circa 1930s or 1940s.jpg, Aerial view of Falls of the Ohio and Locks and Dam No 41 circa 1930s or 1940s
Image:Aerial view of McAlpine Locks circa 2000.jpg, Aerial view of McAlpine Locks circa 2000
Image:Towboat Brimstone entering auxiliary lock at McAlpine Locks, 1987, Ohio River mile 607 (87j072).jpg, Towboat Brimstone entering auxiliary lock at McAlpine Locks, 1987
Image:Towboat Steel Trader departing auxiliary lock at McAlpine Locks, 1987, Ohio River mile 607 (87j173).jpg, Towboat Steel Trader departing auxiliary lock at McAlpine Locks, 1987
Image:Dewatered main lock undergoing repairs at McAlpine Locks, 1987, Ohio River mile 607 (87j116).jpg, Dewatered main lock undergoing repairs at McAlpine Locks, 1987
Image:Coast Guard buoy tender Obion entering main lock at McAlpine Locks, 1999, Ohio River mile 607 (99a043).jpg, Coast Guard buoy tender Obion entering main lock at McAlpine Locks, 1999
Image:Towboat Enid Dibert departing main lock at McAlpine Locks, 1999, Ohio River mile 607 (99c025).jpg, Towboat Enid Dibert departing main lock at McAlpine Locks, 1999
Image:LG&E Ohio Falls Generating Station at McAlpine Dam, 1998, Ohio River mile 606 (98k009).jpg, LG&E Ohio Falls Generating Station at McAlpine Dam, 1998
Image:Tainter gate at McAlpine Dam, 1998, Ohio River mile 605 (98k058).jpg, Tainter gate at McAlpine Dam, 1998
Image:Fourteenth Street Bridge pier and upper gates of McAlpine Dam, 1998, Ohio River mile 605 (98k059).jpg, Fourteenth Street Bridge pier and upper gates of McAlpine Dam, 1998
External links
LG&E PlantsMcAlpine Locks and Dam2007 version from Wayback Machine
McAlpine Locks and Damfrom U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 29 April 2017
McAlpine Locks and Dam fact sheetfrom U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 29 April 2017
History of navigation development on the Ohio Riverfrom U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 29 April 2017
* Provides historical context for McAlpine Locks and Dam; good bibliography.
{{Authority control
Transport infrastructure completed in 1830
Dams completed in 1927
Energy infrastructure completed in 1927
Transportation buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky
Buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky
Canals in Kentucky
Dams in Kentucky
Dams in Indiana
Dams on the Ohio River
Hydroelectric power plants in Kentucky
United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
1830 establishments in Kentucky
Locks of Kentucky
Locks of Indiana