Monongahela River Locks Feeling The Pinch

The Upper Monongahela River Association hosted a meeting Wednesday night to discuss issues that may be facing the Mon River locks in the future.

WBOY-TV
26 October 2011
By Alex Hines

MORGANTOWN -- Tough decisions may be on the way for the locks and dams on the Monongahela River.

Like the rest of the country, the Army Corps of Engineers has been dealing with a lower budget and the down economy. Although cuts haven't affected operations on the Mon yet, they may be a reality in the future.

"Maintaining our locks and dams are essential for our economy and for our public health and safety," said Barry Pallay of the Upper Monongahela River Association, which hosted the meeting with the Mon River Recreation and Commerce Committee of the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce.

But that maintenance is coming at a time when less money is available to put towards it. At a meeting Wednesday night at the Morgantown Municipal Airport, representative of many groups concerned for the river's future spoke on their concerns. Colonel Butch Graham , the commander of the Pittsburgh Corps of Engineers, attended the meeting. He says that although he came to provide some information, he also hoped to get input from those who would be affected.

"We steward this river for the citizens of this basin and we want to hear what's important to them, so we can add that to the debate as the federal government looks at ... I've got more needs that I've got resources, and we prioritize what's best for the citizens who live here," said Graham.

The Mon River plays a big part in West Virginia's economy, as it's used to transport gas and coal to sites along it's banks. But other uses for the river could be affected by changes in the lock system as well.

"The other part is the quality of the water. We use it for drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, so we really need to pay attention to that. We have to maintain the quality of that water," says Pallay.

The river's commercial use may be part of what keeps the river open, although no changes in operations are planned just yet.

The Corps of Engineers is already feeling the pinch on the Allegheny, which meets the Mon in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River. It's put two locks on that river under caretaker status, meaning that next year, those locks won't be reopening for the boating season.