Louisville Engineer District News - The Waterways Journal

Demolition Set For Former Ohio L&D 53

May 10, 2021

Blasting will begin in mid-May this year and last through late June 2022 to demolish the former Lock and Dam 53 near Olmsted, Ill. Daily blasting is expected Monday through… Read More

Chuck Parrish, Revered River Historian Chuck Parrish with the Str. Belle of Louisville passing in the background. (Keith Norrington collection)

Chuck Parrish, Revered River Historian

January 30, 2021

The river community was greatly saddened recently to learn of the untimely passing of Charles “Chuck” Parrish on December 21, 2020. He was 78. Long the exemplary and kindly historian… Read More

Crew Uninjured After Boat Sinks Near Olmsted

December 31, 2020

Three crew members escaped injury when the mv. Betsy Wepfer sank December 27 just upstream from Olmsted Locks and Dam. The Coast Guard was notified at 8:38 p.m. Central time… Read More

Louisville Flood Protection Plan Forwarded To Congress

November 2, 2020

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced what the Louisville Engineer District called a significant step for the Louisville (Ky.) Metro Flood Protection System Reconstruction Study. Lt. Gen. Scott… Read More

Corps Holds Change Of Command Ceremonies For South Atlantic, Mississippi Valley Divisions, Louisville District

July 2, 2020

The South Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a change of command ceremony June 22, during which Maj. Gen. Diana Holland relinquished command to Col. Jason… Read More

Louisville Engineer District Closes McAlpine North Lock For Repairs —Louisville Engineer District The heavy capacity repair fleet removes miter gate leaves from McAlpine Locks and Dam’s north lock on the Ohio River in Louisville, Ky., to allow dewatering. The chamber will remain closed through mid-November.

—Louisville Engineer District The heavy capacity repair fleet removes miter gate leaves from McAlpine Locks and Dam’s north lock on the Ohio River in Louisville, Ky., to allow dewatering. The chamber will remain closed through mid-November.

Louisville Engineer District Closes McAlpine North Lock For Repairs

July 2, 2020

Cranes lifted miter gate leaves high in the air as a five-month closure of the north lock chamber got underway recently at McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville. The 1,200-foot… Read More

Olmsted Locks Through First 2020 Tows

—Photo courtesy of Louisville Engineer District Two upbound tows lock through at Olmsted Locks and Dam in September 2019. In June, the Corps raised the wickets for the first time in 2020, the fourth time since Olmsted opened in August 2018. By Shelley Byrne River traffic has locked through the twin 1,200-foot-by-110-foot chambers at Olmsted Locks and Dam for the first time this year and only the fourth time in the project’s history. “The weather conditions over the past couple of years have been unique, but raising it in June is much more normal,” said Ryan Lawrence, assistant operations manager for the Louisville Engineer District’s locks and dams project office. Olmsted personnel began raising the wicket dam June 18. It had also been raised in August 2018, August 2019 and November 2019, for a total of about 100 days, Lawrence said. The longest period was in August 2019, when the wicket dam held pool for 62 days at 301.5 feet above sea level, maintaining the pool 46 river miles, back to the Smithland Locks and Dam. A more typical elevation at Olmsted is 295 to 300 feet, based on a hinged pool that takes advantage of the natural slope of the river. Crews began lowering the wickets June 23 in response to rainfall in the upper Ohio Valley, but Lawrence said they may need to go back up again in another two weeks or so, given current forecasting that calls for less rain and a falling Mississippi River. The Corps said it expects to raise and lower the wickets an average of four times each season. “But so far we haven’t really had an average year,” Lawrence said. “You do what needs to be done to maintain the river elevations.” Given the weather so far this year, the Corps believes this season may be much closer to a typical one than the last two have been. However, Lawrence cautioned, “As we saw last year, there’s no real way to know. We look at historical trends and what we expect with weather patterns.” Although the Corps had plenty of experience with wickets at the former Locks and Dams 52 and 53, Olmsted modernized the process when it opened in August 2018 on the Ohio River near Olmsted, Ill. In addition, instead of a hook blindly grabbing for a bar on the wickets beneath the water, GPS and a sonar camera aid the process. “They really took the things they learned from 52 and 53 and implemented and improved those things here,” Lawrence said. The Corps has less experience using tainter gates combined with a wicket dam to control flow. Olmsted has five tainter gates, while the former projects didn’t have any, although other Ohio River locks and dams in the district have them. The gates can be opened and closed to maintain the pool without raising and lowering the wickets as frequently. “We’re definitely still learning that,” Lawrence said, adding that Olmsted has a unique combination of factors since high water on the Mississippi River can back up the Ohio to as far as Olmsted and since levels on Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River, Lake Barkley on the Cumberland River and on the Ohio at Smithland

Olmsted Locks Through First 2020 Tows

June 26, 2020

River traffic has locked through the twin 1,200-foot-by-110-foot chambers at Olmsted Locks and Dam for the first time this year and only the fourth time in the project’s history. “The… Read More

John T. Myers, McAlpine Closures Loom

June 5, 2020

Scheduled lock closures on the Ohio River could cause some delays. The main, 1,200-foot chamber at John T. Myers Locks and Dam on the Ohio River at Mount Vernon, Ind.,… Read More

River Runs In Kelly Family Bloodline For Four Generations Lockmaster Jeff Kelly stands on top of Smithland Dam. His father, Wayne, was the first lockmaster there. His grandfather, uncle, first cousin and nephew also have made careers working for the Corps at locks and dams. (Photo courtesy of Louisville Engineer District)

Lockmaster Jeff Kelly stands on top of Smithland Dam. His father, Wayne, was the first lockmaster there. His grandfather, uncle, first cousin and nephew also have made careers working for the Corps at locks and dams. (Photo courtesy of Louisville Engineer District)

River Runs In Kelly Family Bloodline For Four Generations

May 19, 2020

For four generations, members of the Kelly family have stood atop the inland river system’s locks and dams, looking out as the river rolls by. “It’s been in the blood… Read More

ARTCO Plans New Barge Fleeting Area

April 19, 2020

American River Transportation Company (ARTCO) plans to establish a barge fleeting area for empty and loaded hopper/tank barges to handle increased barge traffic at the confluence of the Mississippi and… Read More