Armstrong Officials Aim to Keep 'Wealth' Afloat

Aspinwall Herald
1 April 2011
By Mary Ann Thomas

Armstrong County commissioners plan to form a task force to lobby for finances for the Allegheny River's system of eight locks and dams.

"We need to create economic wealth along the waterway," Commissioners Chairwoman Patty Kirkpatrick said on Thursday during an Army Corps of Engineers news conference at Lock and Dam No. 2 at Highland Park.

Kirkpatrick and fellow Commissioners Rich Fink and Jim Scahill are trying to rally boaters, businesses, local communities and others to promote ways to pay for the future of the river's aging navigation system, which is running low on cash.

The Army Corps held the news conference to announce the closure of Lock No. 8 in Templeton and No. 9 in Rimer to recreational boaters because of federal budget cuts. The locks still remain open to commercial vessels by appointment.

Locks at Schenley, Clinton and Kittanning, all in Armstrong County, survived the ax but with greatly reduced hours. One 8-hour shift was dropped from locks at Highland Park, Plum and Natrona to make up the difference.

The Army Corps held public sessions and met with businesses, boaters and others who use the Allegheny to determine the least painful and most productive way to absorb the river's operations budget cut -- slashed in half to $4 million in President Obama's proposed 2011-12 budget.

"It was the best compromise we could come up with, given the federal funding," said Rich Lockwood, chief of operations for the Army Corps' Pittsburgh District.

Mary Ann Thomas can be reached at mthomas@tribweb.com or 412-782-2121 x1510.