The McAlpine Locks and Dam are a set of locks and a

hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

at the Falls of the Ohio River at

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. They are located at mile point 606.8, and control a navigation pool. The locks and their associated canal were the first major engineering project on the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

, completed in 1830 as the 1.9-mile Louisville and Portland Canal, designed to allow shipping traffic to navigate through the Falls of the Ohio. The locks system is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At present, the normal pool elevation is above sea level and the drainage area above the dam is . The average daily flow at McAlpine is . The lock chambers are located at the dam on the Kentucky side of the

and are capable of a normal lift of between the McAlpine pool upstream and the Cannelton pool downstream. The hydroelectric plant is owned and operated by LG&E and KU, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, while the locks are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

History

Construction and early history

The Falls of the Ohio, historically, was the only natural obstruction in the entire length of the Ohio River, with a rock reef forming a rapids of nearly 3 miles. "As early as the year 1802, the expense and delay attending the reshipment of freight around the falls had become so serious that numerous plans were proposed for overcoming the obstruction," according to the Corps of Engineers, leading to the construction of the Louisville and Portland Canal. The first boat passed through the canal December 22, 1830. In the ensuing decades, many vessels on the Ohio River were too large for the locks, leading to more alterations to the infrastructure and culminating "in a combined navigation and hydroelectric development" in the 1920s. The dam for generating

hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

was added in 1927. The hydroelectric plant at the time was the seventh largest hydroelectric plant in the United States, and in its early years of operation, "provided most of the power needed to serve the city of Louisville," according to LG&E and KU. Today, it has a net generating capacity of 110

megawatts The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named in honor o ...

with eight turbine units in service. 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. In October 2003, McAlpine was designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the

American Society of Civil Engineers The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a tax-exempt professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it is the oldest national engineering soci ...

Modernization

The McAlpine locks underwent a 10-year, $278 million expansion project, completed in 2009. "This work replaced the 600’ and 360’ locks with a 1200’ x 110’ lock on the Kentucky bank side of the Louisville and Portland Canal adjacent to the existing lock," according to the Corps, "for efficient movement of projected increases in tow traffic." The original bridge carrying 27th Street across the locks, built in 1926–1927, included two moveable spans – one swing span and one bascule span – but these were removed in 2007 and replaced by a new two-lane, high fixed-span concrete bridge. In 2019, the hydroelectric station also saw a modernization project, meant to give the dam another century of life. The station received some technological improvements, and computer modeling helped shape the turbines for maximum performance. "Even with these modern changes, much of the facility’s hardware remains intact from the 1920s," according to the utility. "The plant has retained its historic charm with original tile floors, wooden handrails, ornate light fixtures and a vintage control room."

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

References

External links

LG&E PlantsMcAlpine Locks and Dam
2007 version from Wayback Machine
McAlpine Locks and Dam
from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 29 April 2017
McAlpine Locks and Dam fact sheet
from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 29 April 2017
History of navigation development on the Ohio River
from 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