Montgomery Locks and Dam is one of six major river facilities on
the Ohio River. It lies on a thickly-forested length of the river
32 river miles from the Point. It is about three miles upriver from
the first large scale nuclear power plant in the U.S. at
Shippingport, PA. Elevation of Pool in Feet Above Mean Sea Level:
682.0
It was constructed from 1932 to 1936. The locks opened in June
1936. This facility eliminated the original Locks and Dams 4 (built
1898-1908), 5 (1898-1907) and 6 (1892-1904). These three dams were
old-style wooden wicket dams built by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to raise the first shallow navigational pool on this
stretch of the Ohio.
Montgomery Locks and Dam has a gated dam, one of the two major
types in service in the Pittsburgh District. This type of dam is
constructed to permit increased control over the water level in the
navigation pool upriver of the dam. Machinery mounted on tall
concrete piers moves large chains which lift gates that are hinged
into the body of the piers. As the gates are raised or lowered to
control the amount of water flowing under them, the upstream pool
is maintained at a relatively constant level for an authorized
depth of at least 9 feet throughout its length. The dam, however,
cannot be operated to control flood flows. An incidental benefit
derived from the pool formed by the dam is the availability of a
source of municipal and industrial water.
Montgomery averages about 550 commercial lockages every month,
plus another 275 lockages of pleasure craft during the busy summer
months.