State's River Locks Beyond Golden Years


The State Journal
10 July 2009
By Mike Ruben

Barges are more efficiently navigating the Kanawha River following significant construction projects at two locks. Aging facilities on the Ohio and Monongahela rivers, however, continue to plague river traffic, according to information provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

River transportation is essential to West Virginia's economy.

Peggy Noel of the Army Corps' district office in Huntington, said coal accounts for 78 percent of the river cargo in the system. That figure jumps up to 96 percent of the river cargo shipped on the Kanawha River.

Larger, more modern locks at Marmet and Winfield are allowing more barge capacity along with a quicker and safer operation, according to Noel. Statistics indicate it would take 200 railroad cars or 870 tractor trailers (an 11.5-mile convoy) to transport the same volume as one 15-barge tow (three barges wide by five long).

Kanawha River

Three locks and dams were constructed along the Kanawha River in the 1930s. A $236 million larger lock chamber project was completed at Winfield in 1995. A similar $400 million expansion was completed in 2008 at Marmet. The lock at London is situated closer to the end of the navigable portion of the river and does not require the additional capacity. A smaller, chamber extension project there allowed the facility to double its capacity.

"The construction projects at Winfield and Marmet have dramatically improved the efficiency and safety of those locks," said Project Manager Michael Keathley. "That was necessary with the increases in tonnage in the system."

The older locks at Marmet measured 56-feet wide and 360-feet long. It was a four-plus hour process to uncouple the barges and send them through the locks one-by-one.

"It led to a lot of wear and tear on the moving parts of the lock," Keathley said. "There were also safety considerations. It was very labor intensive and the locks operate 365-days per year in all weather conditions."

With the renovations, that same tow boat can progress through the locks with nine barges in approximately 45 minutes. About 16.5 million tons of cargo is transported through the Marmet facility annually.

While the recent projects have secured the long-term viability of the locks, Keathley said the adjacent dams on the Kanawha River are 75 years old. Public perception is that the dams were designed for flood control, but he noted that their purpose is to maintain specific depths in the river pool.

"Loss of the pool means that you have to either divert the cargo through another type of transportation or use an alternate source for the coal or whatever the cargo may be," he said. "Loss of pool can also cause slips on the river banks, railroad beds and roadways."

Failure to maintain that depth impacts not only the ability to navigate the river year-round, but other factors such as water intake facilities.

"It can have far reaching effects on the public," Noel added, referring to a kidney dialysis center concerned about its access to water. "There are health and safety concerns, too."

Ohio River

The Huntington District of the Corps of Engineers maintains six Ohio River locks between the Parkersburg area and Cincinnati. West Virginia facilities are located in Mason County (Robert C. Byrd and Racine), Wood County (Belleville) and Pleasants County (Willow Island). The Pittsburgh District is responsible for West Virginia facilities at New Cumberland, Pike Island (Wheeling) and Hannibal (New Martinsville).

Most of the existing Ohio River facilities were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. The most recent upgrade took place at the RCB Locks and Dam near Gallipolis Ferry. New locks were constructed in 1993 and a dam rehabilitation project was completed in 2008.

The facility features several amenities and side benefits, including a wildlife management area at Greenbottom and restoration of the nearby historic Jenkins Plantation. The locks and dam is also the site of a large fish hatchery operated by the state's Division of Natural Resources.

The locks at Greenup, Ky. have a tendency to be a bottleneck, according to Keathley.

"We look at the facilities with 50-year plans," he said. "Greenup was built in 1959, so it's nearing the end of its planning life. The moving parts of the operating system need to be replaced."

The 1,200-foot main lock is twice the size of the auxiliary lock. Plans are being made to extend the auxiliary lock to full size.

Farther north, maintenance crews from Huntington will be assisting their peers from the Pittsburgh District with repairs at the Emsworth and Dashields locks and dams in Pennsylvania. The 20-day closure is scheduled to conclude on July 24.

Monongahela River

Three lock and dam structures are located on the Monongahela River in north central West Virginia. The Morgantown site was constructed in 1950, Hildebrand in 1960 and Opekiska in 1964, according to Dan Jones of Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh office.

Jim McCarville of the Port of Pittsburgh said the facilities in the Lower Mon area are among the oldest in the nation.

"We're having a difficult time making sure they are maintained," he said. "These are older infrastructure projects. Some of these facilities are more than 100 years old.
Still, the locks are an integral aspect of the region's economy. McCarville said 30 million cargo tons are transported annually along the river. Government formulas indicate that translates to 1,000 direct jobs and 2,500 addition indirect jobs.

A chronic problem area has been the Charleroi Lock and Dam in Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh office of the Corps of Engineers recently announced its plans to allocate $17.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to complete construction of a river wall at the facility.

The Corps describes the aging facility as being increasingly unreliable. Should it fail prior to replacement, 14 to 20 million tons of goods (80 percent of which is coal) would have to be hauled by rail or trucks.