DECATUR, Tenn. (Jan. 24, 2023) – The Nashville District’s Maintenance Support Team onboard the Motor Vessel Iroquois is repairing the needle-dam-girder beam slot on the downstream end of Watts Bar Lock on the Tennessee River.
Lockmaster Gary Fleeman said the repair team and Watts Bar’s maintenance crew are working together to add armor plating to prevent concrete loss in the slot that is used whenever a beam is installed to pump water out of the lock chamber for maintenance.
“Due to the location, we could not have performed this repair without assistance from the maintenance support team,” Fleeman said. “We had to remove the slot filler that weighs approximately 6,500 pounds, so the use of the floating crane is essential.”
The repair action, which is not expected to affect navigation at the project, began Jan. 18 and is scheduled to be completed Jan. 26.
Master Pilot Herbert Thomasson of the M/V Iroquois said the new slot fillers will protect an area of concrete that imbeds in the wall, which is an important aspect of the lock that is used when more extensive periodic maintenance actions are required.
Capabilities such as heavy lifting make the Iroquois invaluable when called upon to support projects and repairs like this one at Watts Bar, Thomasson explained.
The maintenance support team is a vital asset that can respond when maintenance and repairs are required at four locks on the Cumberland River, nine locks on the Tennessee River, and one lock on the Clinch River.
The M/V Iroquois’ Chief Engineer Wayne Hart and Operator Darryl Henry along with Watts Bar Lock’s Equipment Mechanic Branden Kennedy, Equipment and Dam Mechanics Chad Phillips and Matthew Landreth, and Lock Operator Bryan Cloutier, are all credited with supporting the various aspects of this repair action.
Fleeman said the team had to plan and then make the repair in concert with ongoing navigation requirements.
“I’m very pleased with how the team jumped into action and is getting the slot repaired here at Watts Bar. Our crew responds well to tough jobs at lock projects, which keep them operational for navigation. Our employees deserve a lot of credit,” Fleeman said.
Watts Bar Lock’s chamber is 360-feet long by 60-feet wide. The lock boasts a 59-foot lift from Chickamauga lake to Watts Bar lake. Construction of Watts Bar Lock started July 1, 1939, and went into permanent operation Feb. 16, 1942. The Nashville District operates and maintains the navigation lock at the Tennessee Valley Authority project.
The Nashville District routinely advertises its job opportunities on USAJobs.gov, and also posts them on its public LinkedIn page. The public is encouraged to follow the LinkedIn page for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.
The public can also obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. The public can also follow Watts Bar Lock on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wattsbarlock.