Morgantown Lock and Dam is a navigational lock and a gated dam on the Monongahela River at Morgantown, West Virginia. It is part of a series of dams that canalizes the Monongahela to a depth of at least 9 feet (2.7 m) for its entire length from Fairmont, West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District.
Morgantown Lock and Dam | |
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Location | Morgantown, West Virginia |
Coordinates | 39°37′10″N 79°58′03″W / 39.61944°N 79.96750°W |
Construction began | 1948 |
Opening date | 1950 |
Operator(s) | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District |
Morgantown has a single lock chamber located on the left-descending river bank. The dam's upper pool extends 6.0 miles (9.7 km) upstream to Hildebrand Lock and Dam, with its 11.2-mile (18.0 km) downstream pool being formed by Point Marion Lock and Dam.
History
editConstruction on Morgantown Lock and Dam began in 1948 and was completed in 1950.[1] It replaced old Locks 10 and 11, timber crib structures installed in 1897–1903.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ USACE Pittsburgh District: Morgantown Lock and Dam, accessed April 1, 2008 Archived March 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine