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Tag: Tennessee River
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  • February

    Mechanical Engineer Paul McDonald poses Feb. 24, 2026, at the Wilson Auxiliary Lock on the Tennessee River in Florence, Alabama, where he is working with a team to replace the critical hydraulic cylinders and the complex web of piping, pins, and A-frame assemblies that power the lock's massive filling and emptying valves to keep the navigation lock ship shape. (USACE Photo by Cayce Grall)

    Engineer performing surgical overhaul of Wilson auxiliary lock recounts career path

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 25, 2025) – When the Wilson Lock’s main chamber went offline last year, the Tennessee River’s heartbeat depended entirely on its aging auxiliary system. To keep barge traffic moving, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crews worked around the clock to maintain the "double lift" lockage. Today, that marathon continues as Mechanical Engineer Peter McDonald and his team return to the auxiliary lock for a surgical overhaul. The mission: replacing critical hydraulic cylinders and the complex web of piping, pins, and A-frame assemblies that power the lock's massive filling and emptying valves.

  • September

    This is an aerial view of Wheeler Lock in June of 1961 shortly after the needle dam had been placed in the upstream lock gate opening. Much of the wall nearest shore slid about 30 feet, and parts of it collapsed into the lock. The photo was included in a TVA report titled “Wheeler Lock Failure” written in November 1961. For the purposes of loading this photo online, the date of June 23, 1961, was chosen, but the exact date could not be determined. The photo shows a coffer dam inside the lock downstream approach, which would have taken some time to construct to begin repairs. (TVA photo by Orvel Dean)

    Rare historic footage surfaces of 1961 Wheeler Lock collapse

    ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (Sept. 15, 2025) – A forgotten piece of motion picture history recently surfaced from a retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operations manager for the Tennessee River. Jim Davis, who served in the Nashville District from 1968 to 2014, discovered an old Kodachrome movie in his family’s possession containing unseen footage of the wall collapse at Wheeler Lock in 1961.

  • April

    Lt. Col. Robert Green (right), commander of the Nashville District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, walks with Rep. Dale Strong (middle) of Alabama's 5th Congressional District and Rep. Mike Collins (left) of Georgia's 10th Congressional District during a tour of Wilson Lock in Florence, Alabama, on March 28, 2025. (USACE Photo by Noe Gonzalez)

    Congressman responsible for improving water resources infrastructure visits locks

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 1, 2025) – Whether or not the Corps of Engineers constructs a brand-new navigation lock or operates and maintains one well into its designed lifespan, these critical infrastructure projects require significant appropriations and receive a great deal of Congressional interest and oversight.

  • March

    A group of contractors and subcontractors tour the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project during a pre-proposal site visit, March 4, 2025, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    USACE hosts prospective contractors for Chickamauga Lock home stretch

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District hosted a pre-proposal site visit on March 4, providing potential contractors with a detailed look at the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project prior to bidding on the final contract to complete the new lock.

  • December

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District team leaders join Lt. Gen. William (Butch) Graham, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general and 56th Chief of Engineers, for a group photo inside the construction lock chamber during his visit to the Chickamauga Lock on Dec. 19, 2024, along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    USACE Chief of Engineers visits Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project

    Lt. Gen. William H. "Butch" Graham Jr., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general and 56th chief of engineers, visited the Chickamauga Lock Replacement Project Dec. 19 to meet with Nashville District leadership and staff, gain insight into the ongoing construction project, and observe operational processes firsthand.
  • Cayce Grall, project manager-forward for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Chickamauga Lock Replacement project in Chattanooga, Tennessee, poses for a photo overlooking the construction site, Dec. 3, 2024.

    Breaking barriers and building legacies: Cayce Grall’s role in the Chickamauga Lock Replacement

    The article highlights Cayce Grall’s journey from growing up near the Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga to leading its replacement project as project manager-forward for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. The new lock, replacing the aging 1939 structure, will modernize navigation and support the regional economy. As the first female quality assurance engineer on the project, Grall inspires others, especially young women, to pursue engineering careers. For Grall, this project is a personal legacy, combining her professional achievements with her deep ties to her hometown.

  • October

    Equipment Mechanic Patrick Morrow works on traffic lights Oct. 17, 2024, at Fort Loudoun Lock on the Tennessee River in Lenoir City, Tennessee. The lights let vessel operators know when to enter and exit the navigation lock. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District has named Morrow as the employee of the month for July 2024. (USACE Photo by Matt Emmons)

    Morrow named employee of the month for outstanding work at navigation locks

    LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 18, 2024) – An equipment mechanic is being recognized as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Employee of the Month for July 2024 for outstanding work supporting operations at Fort Loudoun and Melton Hill navigation locks.
  • Ty Melton, a lock mechanic with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, dons diving headgear with the help of Matt Williamson, a fellow mechanic at Wilson Lock in Florence, Ala., Oct. 9, 2024. Dive-certified mechanics like Melton and Williamson are crucial to getting a firsthand look at any underwater maintenance concerns, such as the cracks in the land and river sides of the gates at Wilson that have caused the closure of the main chamber.

    Divers and remote technology assist with maintenance at Wilson Lock

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is taking steps to address critical maintenance concerns at Wilson Lock on the Tennessee River, where divers and remotely-operated technology are working together to inspect the main chamber gates. On Oct. 9, 2024, a dive support team, assisted by specialists from the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center, conducted a detailed inspection following the discovery of cracks on both the land and river side gates, which prompted the closure of the main chamber.

  • August

    Gary and Judi Fleeman pose together during a retirement celebration July 31, 2024, in Lenoir City, Tennessee. They both culminated more than 51 combined years of federal government service supporting navigation missions together on the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. (USACE Photo by Melissa Kear)

    Officials recognize dynamic couple that spent decades supporting navigation

    LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (Aug. 16, 2024) – Gary and Judi Fleeman recently culminated a combined 51 years supporting navigation missions together on the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. When they decided to retire together, Corps officials made it a point to thank and duly recognize this dynamic couple for their tremendous impact and many years of service.

  • May

    Ongoing construction at the Kentucky Lock mega project in February, 2024. (USACE Photo by Matt Dyman)

    USACE contractor prioritizes people with Kentucky Lock safety milestone

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 16, 2024) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District in partnership with project contractor, Thalle Construction, surpassed one million man-hours without a lost time accident on the Kentucky Lock Addition project May 3, 2024.