5 Oct 2021

Lockmaster’s view – The McAlpine Locks and Dam

Within the entire length of the Ohio River, there was only one place where rock reef extended across the river for a stretch of three miles – The Falls of the Ohio. This area of water was a low water slope, dropping around thirty feet over the three miles and made it practically impassable by cargo and transportation vessels in the early 1800s except when the water level was high; even then, it was treacherous. This article consists of a safety summary and a personal interview from the McAlpine Locks and Dam Lockmaster, Jay Rickman.

20 Jul 2021

Johnson named Nashville District Employee of the Month for May 2021

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 20, 2021) – Ryan Johnson, lockmaster at Guntersville Lock in Grant, Alabama, is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Employee of the Month for May 2021. He is recognized primarily for his leadership at Guntersville Lock and as team leader during a repair action at Wilson Lock in Florence, Alabama.

24 Jun 2020

Marker highlights historical relevance of navigation lock

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 24, 2020) – The city of Nashville unveiled a historical marker today at the site of a navigation lock that went operational in 1907 to tame the Cumberland River, but where only remnants of its stonework remain visible on the shoreline.

4 May 2018

Coast Guard admiral tours Chickamauga Lock

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 4, 2018) – The U.S. Coast Guard’s incoming assistant commandant toured Chickamauga Lock today to see where physical expansion of concrete causes structural deficiencies, and observe how ongoing excavation of the riverbed is making way for construction of a new navigation lock to improve access to the upper reaches of the Tennessee River Basin.

29 Dec 2016

Locked Up! Army Corps Lock Operators Battle Bone-Chilling Temps to Quickly Re-open Ohio River Navigation

Bone-chilling winds cut through the crisp December air as operators and mechanics at a downed Ohio River lock scrambled on the early morning of Dec. 12 to isolate a hydraulic line break that shutdown navigation.

22 May 2015

NR 15-015: Corps of Engineers opens up Nickajack Lock to the public

JASPER, Tenn. (May 22, 2015) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is opening up Nickajack Lock to the public beginning Saturday, May 23. The lock will be accessible to visitors seven days a week from 9 a.m. to dusk.

13 Mar 2015

Fightin’ Ice

For the past few months, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District lock workers on the Allegheny River have been fighting the elements to keep the locks operational as the region endured severe freezing temperatures.

12 Feb 2015

Local news team focuses on emergency exercise

A Pittsburgh TV news team visited Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River Feb. 3 as part of a

22 Oct 2013

Columbus’ replica ships Nina, Pinta transit aging Chickamauga Lock

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Oct. 22, 2013) -- Out of the darkness on Sunday evening, Oct. 20, 2013, what appeared to be two 500-plus year-old vessels quietly and slowly approached the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s Chickamauga Lock.

1 Apr 2013

USACE Galveston District Employee Spotlight on Simon DeSoto

MATAGORDA, Texas (March 21, 2013) – At the age of 18, Colorado River Lockmaster Simon DeSoto fell in love. Though she was two years his senior, he knew this relationship would last a lifetime and remained committed to providing her with the attention she deserved to fulfill her unique demands, maintain her integrity and ensure her wellbeing. Though the laundry list of "to dos" was great, he knew she (the Colorado River Locks - completed in 1954), was more than worthy of his labor of love.