List of locks and dams of the Ohio River

The completed canal was two miles long with three locking chambers that created a total lift of 26 feet.

[1] The amount of coal transported down river from Pittsburgh jumped greatly following the Civil War.

Due to the escalating coal trade, the US Army Corps of Engineers began studying methods to produce a reliable navigation depth on the Ohio.

They determined that building a system of locks and dams to form pools was the best solution to the problem.

During the 1940s, a shift from steam propelled to diesel powered towboats allowed for tows longer than the 600 foot locks on the river.

The program's purpose was to replace the system of outdated wicket dams and small locks.