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Smithland Locks and Dam

Louisville District
Published Jan. 9, 2024
A barge locking through at Smithland Locks and Dam in Brookport, Illinois.

A barge locking through at Smithland Locks and Dam in Brookport, Illinois.

A barge locking through at Smithland Locks and Dam in Brookport, Illinois.

Smithland Locks and Dam
1401 Smithland Dam Road
Brookport, IL 62910
(618) 564-2315 

Location

Smithland Locks and Dam is located on the Ohio River at mile 918.5 below Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and 62.5 miles upstream of the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The locks are on the Illinois side of the Ohio River accessible via the New Liberty Road reached from either Golconda or Brookport, Illinois.

Authorization

The Smithland Locks and Dam was authorized on December 8, 1965, as a replacement for existing Locks and Dam 50 and 51, under authority of Section 6 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of March 3, 1909.

History

Smithland Locks’ construction started in 1971 and was placed in operation 1979. The dam construction started in 1974 and was completed in November 1980. The two Smithland Locks are each 110 feet wide and 1,200 feet long. This was the first structure of this size on the Ohio River and was then the world’s largest twin navigational locks system. The overall length of the river lock wall, including the guard walls, is approximately threequarters of a mile. Each miter gate leaf weighs 250 tons. The miter gates and valve machinery are hydraulically operated. Each lock chamber requires eight minutes for filling and nine minutes for emptying.

Lock Information

 River Lock  110’ x 1200’
 Land Lock  110’ x 1200’
   

Dam Information

Type Concrete fixed
weir with tainter gate
Length 2,954'
Upper pool 324'
Lower pool 302'
Number of gates 11
Height of gates 36'
Width of gates 110'

 


Contact
Louisville District Public Affairs
lrl-pao@usace.army.mil
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