The lock on the Canadian side has a history of the locks from the Canadian perspective.
Information about the new "poe sized" lock that is to replace the Sabin and Davis Locks is in separate notes.
If a view is looking upstream, then we generally see some of the bridges over the St. Marys River.
Steve Vanden Bosch posted three photos with the comment: "These photos are from the Library of Congress of the Locks with one photo showing the whaleback barge 130 being towed out of the Poe Lock downbound."
The last ship through the locks in 2019 was on January 15.
It takes 22 million gallons to raise a ship 21 feet, but 73.3 million gallons have to be pumped out to do winter maintenance. (There are several more photos in this reference that I did not copy including some hard-hat diving to open valves on the floor.) [mlive]
First, they have to build a pile of "stop logs" so the gates can also be dry for maintenance. Each log weighs 49 tons.
Crane Barge Harvey will go down and rest on the bottom of the lock when the water is removed.
After 17 hours of pumping, the lock is ready for inspection.
Two of several photos from mlive showing how they used an industrial vacuum cleaner to clean the muck out of the culverts. I don't know for sure if these are the same culverts. There is a culvert on each side of the lock and they can move a million gallons of water a minute. They are big enough that you can drive a truck through them. Photos courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
This photo of Soo Locks is courtesy of TripAdvisor
[If you click the photo on their site, you can navigate through some more historic photos of the locks.]
USACE, Detroit posted fourteen photos with the comment: "When the last freighter of the 2019 navigation season cleared the Poe Lock on January 15, crews at the Soo Locks immediately began working to dewater the Poe Lock to prepare for a busy maintenance season. #SooLocks #WinterMaintenance #USACE"
Ben Stalvey shared with the comment: "One sweet looking MLC 300."
[mlive also has a copy of these USACE photos and captions. But my copy is ad free. The mlive article does have some background information in its intro.]
A video of "USCG Mackinaw up bound out of the Soo Locks around 12:45 today. 3-19-19."
A video of "Three footers in the Soo Harbor, Mesabi Miner, Paul R Tregurtha, Edgar B Speer on a beautiful summer day. Viewed from the Tower of History. 6-8-18"
A video of "Wilfred Sykes being lowered in the MacArthur Lock then leaving. 7-17-18
Time Lapse Video." There is also a sliver of a CSL boat entering the adjacent lock.
President’s Promise to Fix the Soo Locks Resonates With Sault Residents (source)
I've never seen a lock bone dry before.
David Kaye posted four photos and a 1:27 video with the comment: "BBC St. Petersburg had a little trouble at the Soo Locks today. First on approach to the MacArthur Lock they bumped the wall and railing just outside the lower end of the MacArthur Lock. Then after leaving the lock they got sideways in the lock canal as the downbound American Integrity was approaching. Fortunately there was no contact between the two ships and the only damage was to the railing on the pier. 4-28-23"
If a view is looking upstream, then we generally see some of the bridges over the St. Marys River.
June 8, 2022:
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| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted The ocean going vessel ALE enters the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on June 8 as seen from the Lockmaster's tower. Also seen in the photo are the empty MacArthur Lock which is currently undergoing maintenance and the New Lock at the Soo construction in the distance near the International Bridge. Kent Rengo shared |
The 1855 350'x70'x12' State Lock was the first lock built on the USA side of the river.
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image of the State Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., circa 1865. The superintendent’s house is visible on the left, while Native American cabins and the rapids of the St. Marys River are on the right (Image Source: National Archives – Records of the Chief of Engineers – Construction and Renovation Photographs of St. Marys Falls Canal and Locks Collection). Additional Historical Information The rapids of the St. Marys River dropped over 20 feet from the level of the Lake Superior side of the river and that of the downstream side. After the destruction of the small lock and canal system of the North West Company in 1814, all cargoes had to be unloaded, portaged and then reloaded to bypass this stretch of the river. In the 1850s, the State of Michigan garnered federal support to build what became known as the State Lock on the south shore of the St. Marys River. The project was financed by a land grant from the U.S. Congress of 750,000 acres of public land to the company that could successfully build the lock to the required specifications within a two-year time frame. The E&T Fairbanks Co., a Vermont company investing in mineral resources in Michigan, won the contract. Engineer Charles T. Harvey was on site to oversee the construction. When completed in 1855, the lock consisted of two chambers each measuring 350 feet long, 70 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The State of Michigan then operated and maintained the lock. As shipping traffic grew and vessels increased in size, there were frequent delays and lines of ships waiting to pass through the State Lock in the 1860s. It became apparent that a second, larger lock was needed. Lacking the resources to undertake the construction of such a lock, state officials again sought support from the federal government. That help came in the 1870s when Congress appropriated funds to build a new, larger lock. That lock, which became known as the Weitzel Lock, was completed in 1881. Information Source: |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted On June 18, 1855, the Illinois made the first passage through the first U.S. navigation lock on the Great Lakes. Instead of spending up to two weeks being unloaded and reloaded at Sault Ste. Marie, vessels could now pass between the two lakes in a matter hours. Since the first lockage of this steamship, there have been navigation locks in Sault Ste. Marie in constant operation connecting the raw materials of the Great Lakes with industrial centers on the lower lakes and the world. Ed Lawrence: My family owned all that land and leased it to the US government and the army corps of engineers for the price of 1.00 for 99.9 years in 1849 with the lease agreement being up in 1949 and my family has not seen any money for it since. Rodney June: I have the book " Unbound,Downbound, is there any other books that cover the Soo locks story? |
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| National Archives at Chicago commented on the USACE post Here is the entry from the toll book for that month. |
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| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted #PhotooftheWeek The M/V Herbert C. Jackson and M/V Burns Harbor traverse the Soo Locks on a sunny summer day earlier this week. |
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| Timeline via USACE-new-lock |
It is not just freighters that use the Great Lakes.
I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted three photos with the comment:
We LOVE our cruise ships and our tour boats!!!Tuesday morning July 2, 2024.....Pearl Mist in the MacArthur Lock and the Viking Octantis in the Poe Lock. And three different tour boats in front of the Pear Mist.-----The Viking Octantis is 672'7" long and 77'1" wide.Pearl Mist 325'2" long and 52’ wide.
Jim Lehocky shared
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| Oct 5, 2021: safe_image for Lake Superior below the seasonal long-term average first time since April 2014 |
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| Dec 3, 2021: LakeSuperior |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image of the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. looking downstream (east) from the Weitzel Lock, circa 1891 (Image Source: National Archives – Records of the Chief of Engineers – Construction and Renovation Photographs of St. Marys Falls Canal and Locks Collection). An analysis of an enlarged copy of image and the history of the ship reveals the whaleback freighter in the center of the photograph may be the Colgate Hoyt, the first self-propelled whaleback vessel designed and built by Capt. Alexander McDougall. [The description continues with a history of the freighter.] |
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| 1 of 3 photos posted by Steve Vanden Bosch These are closer images from a Detroit Publishing Collection photo of the Pathfinder downbound in the Weitzel Lock with the barge Constitution. |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image from a dry plate negative of steamers passing through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., circa 1900-1910 (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). There is one upbound vessel in the First Poe Lock and several downbound vessels waiting for passage through the lock. An analysis of a high-resolution copy of the image shows the upbound vessel in the lower righthand corner of the photograph to be I.W. Nicholas. [The description continues with a history of I.W. Nicholas.] |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted A whaleback freighter followed by two whaleback barges in the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., circa 1890 (Image Source: University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries Digital Collection – The Great Lakes Maritime History Project). The names of the vessels are not included in the notes. The photographer was Allan Fanjoy (1870-1920). The image is from a photograph found in the Special Collections and Archives of the Jim Dan Hill Library at the University of Wisconsin Superior. A source notes that a partially visible name on the bow turret leads them to believe that the freighter is the James Colgate (1892). In addition, the barges appear to be 1893 builds (Nos. 129 through 134) which can be distinguished by their bow turrets, which were constructed without an overhanging upper deck. Image Information Source: Alex Hayward Additional Historical Information The whaleback design was developed by Capt. Alexander McDougall (1845-1923) of Duluth, Minn. during the late 1800s. At the time, the size of ships operating on the Great Lakes was limited by the locks connecting the lakes, such as the those at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. As result, bulk freighters often towed “consort” vessels to increase their cargo capacity, particularly in the iron ore and coal trades. In the late 1800s, most consorts were aging sailing schooners or purpose-built schooner barges. These vessels were often difficult to tow due to their resistance to wind and waves. Whaleback barges, on the hand, were designed by Capt. McDougall to be easily towed and handle well in all wind and weather conditions. Instead of crashing into the sides of a traditional ship's hull, waves simply washed over a whaleback’s curved hull and around the deck turrets that housed its superstructure. The design performed as expected and was used to build both barges and freighters to tow them. In addition to better ship handling, whaleback freighters towing whaleback barges were fast for their time, averaging 15 knots. Between 1887 and 1898, a total of 44 whalebacks were produced, including 23 barges, 20 freighters and one passenger vessel. However, as demand for iron ore and coal trades grew, the whaleback design limited the cargo capacity of both freighters and barges. In addition, its curved hull resulted in small hatches which slowed the process of loading and unloading process. These challenges lead to several modifications and innovations, including the conversion of some whaleback freighters and barges to self-unloading vessels. In addition, to remain competitive, the primary cargo of many whalebacks was changed to bulk grain or sand, and later petroleum products. However, despite these changes, whalebacks remained vulnerable to very heavy seas and collisions with other vessels due to their low profile in the water when fully loaded. Reports of the time recount several accidents in which ships ran over and sank whalebacks without ever seeing them. [See the post for links to the source material.] |
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| Gerald Vilenski posted A Whaleback entering Weitzel Lock in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Circa 1910. Looks like the little girl in the foreground may be taking a picture with a box camera... Paul Mathews Can't get that close anymore Mike Harlan shared Del Jackson Probably a Kodak 620. William Worden This is whaleback barge 131, so she might be waiting for a line from her towing steamer out of the photo ahead of her, or it might be the steamer behind her. There's another photo in the Library of Congress/Detroit Publishing collection that shows 131 in the lock with the Mariska, which would have been her towing steamer. |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted An image from a dry plate negative of the locks and canal at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. circa 1905. (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). An unidentified tug is shown in the Weitzel Lock, possibly after assisting in the transit of the two schooner barges in the middle-right side of the photograph. An analysis of a high-resolution copy of the image shows the schooner barge Harold as the vessel closest to the lock gate. In front of it is an unidentified schooner barge and then the steambarge P.J. Ralph. The P.J. Ralph is known to have towed the Harold around this period of time. In the background on the right is a long-line of freighters waiting to be locked down. [The description continues with a history of the schooner barges.] |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted The #SooLocks were a hive of activity #OTD [May 4] in 1910. To the left, obscured by smoke and work buildings, crews excavate the location of the Davis Lock, in the center of the image workers widen the approach canal to the Weitzel and original Poe Locks. Also captured in this image is the Administration Building with its original tower and to the right, Sault Ste. Marie’s train station with waiting railcars. |
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| Split Rock Lighthouse posted The Soo Locks open tomorrow [Mar 25, 2023] and that marks the opening of shipping season on Lake Superior. Lake Superior rests over 600 feet above sea level, with a roughly 20 foot decrease in elevation separating Superior from Lake Huron. It is thanks to the Soo Locks that the freighters that travel the Great Lakes are able to bridge the gap between the two. Ships typically use either the larger Poe Lock, built in 1968, or the MacArthur Lock, which was built in 1943, to bridge the gap between the lakes. But how do they work? Ships enter the lock space that separates the elevations, with the lock space filled to the higher elevation. As the upper gate closes behind them, the water in the lock is drained, lowering the ship. Once the lock is emptied by the necessary amount, the lower gate is opened, allowing the ship to exit at the lower elevation. It is thanks to this system, and others on the Great Lakes, that vessels are not stuck within the higher or lower lakes, and able to travel between the two. Photo: Aerial view of Soo Locks, courtesy US Army Corps of Engineers Tim Fink: I was on the North pier in Duluth and people were wondering why the water level in the canal was dropping and rising, and some guy said that it must be the soo locks opening 😆😂🤣Stephen Selby: Tim Fink Lol. It used to amaze me the difference in lake levels on Leech Lake. It all depended on which way and how strong the wind blew. Superior has near 3,000 cubic miles of water. And fluctuation is monumental.😊 |
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| Chippewa County Historical Society posted Shipping traffic on the St. Marys River resumed a few days ago after the winter break. Once again, we hear the occasional boat whistle familiar to all who have spent very much time in the Sault. Here is a photo from April 26, 1956 with still a bit of upper river ice in the lock approaches. Quite a bit of vanished history is on view in the image. The old Poe Lock (second from the right in the photo) would be replaced twelve years later by the much larger new Poe Lock. In order to accommodate the wider ships being planned, the piece of real estate I’ll call "bridge island," on which the railroad swing bridge pivoted, had to be removed to allow wider ships to use the approach canal for the MacArthur and Poe locks. The swing bridge (open, in right foreground) was replaced by the present-day lift bridge in 1959. Note that the third and fourth locks were still in operation at the time of the picture. The Union Depot railroad station, no longer around, can just be seen in the distance, to the right of the stern of the ship waiting to enter the MacArthur Lock. And, of course, there is no sign yet of the International Bridge for autos and cars, which opened six years after this picture was taken, and which would dominate a photo taken today from the same vantage point. Walter Materna Collection, neg. # 330.1 This photo and many others can be viewed on our website at www.cchsmi.com and is available for print at the Chippewa County Historical Society. Bill Krieger: Bob Brunsdon and I worked for the Corps of Engineers during the blasting away of that bridge island. We would run out as the warning signals blasted, set up a seismograph and wait for results. One night, when they didn’t cover the blast quite as well as they should’ve, we were showered with rocks and mud. The fence near the blast was “dented” a lot and windows were broken in the buildings beyond the fence. They almost had it covered 🙂 thanks for the memories.Kent Rengo shared Busy April 1956 day. |
Ric Mixter's Wrecknology posted four images with the comment: "2022 is scheduled to bring huge changes to the old Sabin Lock (opened 1919 closed 1989). The old cement walls will be blasted out and rock will be placed in the decommissioned Davis lock, eventually filling it in. Here are some pictures of the Sabin and Davis locks then and now."
Andrew Haenish shared
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| 2 Graphic of the Sabin (fourth lock) showing the engine building and electric captstan. |
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| 3 Davis gates dwarf the men standing below. |
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| 4 Ric Mixter photo of Sabin lock with coffer dam (and crane barge Paul Bunyan). This will be dug out and widened for a new lock. |
Lock dimensions:
- MacArthur Lock, 1943: 800' x 80' x 29.5'; this can handle salties, but not Lakers (Video from David Kaye)
- Poe Lock, 1896: 800' x 100'
- Poe Lock Rebuilt, 1968: 1200' x 110' x 32', this is the one the lakers must use. That length and width can also handle a 15-barge tow. But I suspect barges can't risk being on a Great Lake if a storm hits.
- Davis lock, 1914: 1350' x 80' x 23.1'; light freighters, tour boats, and small craft when traffic warrants
- Sabin Lock, 1919: same as Davis but it has been "mothballed."
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| Al Miller posted Superior City is tied up in the old Poe Lock while one of Jim Hill's fancy passenger liners -- either North West or North Land -- squeezes in. Superior City's stack is all silver, so this view would be from 1901 to 1904. A. E. Young hauled his camera up to the tower of the administration building to get this view. It's one of many views he took from that vantage point. [The view looks naked without the big bridges.] |
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| Charlene Schlueter posted The first Soo Locks. ...from https://mikelbclassen.com/.../historical-pictures-the.../ [1 of 5 photos concerning the early Years: 1855-1888.] |
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| 1 of 4 images posted by Brendon Baillod, the other three images are closeups Here's a very early, uncolored, undivided-back postcard I acquired recently. This one dates from 1905 and shows an unusual closeup of a fleet of lumber carriers upbound in the Soo Locks. This view is unusual for a few reasons. First, it gives a rare closeup view of these workaday wooden vessels that were seldom photographed. Second, it shows them from an unusual perspective. In most photos, these sorts of vessels are generally shown loaded, but this view shows their deck layout and details of their hardware. It is interesting to note the few cargo hatches on the decks of the lumber schooners as compared to an iron ore carrying schooner-barge. It would take a keen eye, but I'm wondering if anyone wants to take a stab at identifying the steamer. I'll take a stab and say that I think the steamer is the Charles H. Bradley based on the configuration of the windows on the back of her deckhouse and pilothouse. I think the schooner-barges might be the Brightie and Goshawk based on the Bradley's tows during that time period. Be sure to click and zoom the photos, as I blew them up to show details. |
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| Chuck Zentmeyer posted Taken from just outside the no-fly zone over the lock complex using the extreme zoom of the Mavic 3, Sykes in the MacArthur and JRB in the Poe get ready to continue their journey downriver. |
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| Robert Campbell posted The Britannia is shown in the MacArthur lock as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip tour the lakes to commemorate the opening of the Seaway in 1959. The photo taken by Ruth Stevens. Kent Rengo shared Mark Jones: I got to tour Britannia in August and I have to say it was the highlight of our trip to the UK. |
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| Craig Hensley Photography posted The M/V Isabelle G in the Poe lock. The ship is lowered 21 feet from Lake Superior to the St Mary's river to reach Lake Huron and onward to Detroit. Tech: DJI Mavic Air 2s Date: 9/3/21 Location: Sault Ste Marie, Michigan Dennis DeBruler: Mike W Schattl Collectively, the four American locks are called the Soo Locks. But each lock has a name. From the foreground to the background we see the MacArthur, Poe, Davis and Sabin Locks. Thus the ship is in the Poe Lock. The Davis and Sabin locks are long enough to handle Lakers, but they are both too narrow. The Sabin Lock has been "mothballed." Since 1986, the plan is to replace the Sabin and Davis Locks with a second lock that is big enough to handle the Lakers that the 1968 Poe Lock made possible. They broke ground on June 30, 2009. But funding has been a bad joke. As Craig's photo documents, very little progress has been made on the rebuild. Michelle Briggs: Dennis DeBruler Actually a lot of progress has been made in the last few years. Dredging began last year in the upper channel (where you see all the brown water) to deepen it to the current project depth. That part is scheduled to wrap up this year. In spring 2021 work began on the 100+ year old approach walls, just west of the area in the photo they have installed a concrete mixing plant and all their materials are stock piled and contractors are working on it and will be continuing next year. Demolition of the Sabin Lock to prepare for chamber construction could begin as early as next year. |
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| Jason Pechette posted American Mariner in the soo locks and Joe Block waiting |
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| USACE Detroit District posted Earlier this week [posted Mar 3, 2023] a #SooLocks lock and dam operator took the #PhotooftheWeek of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay framed by the parted lower operating gates of the Poe Lock. Shipping resumes March 25, 2023, meanwhile crews are wrapping up lock maintenance tasks. (📸 Derrick Leese) John F. Lawrence shared Shipping season begins on March 25th for the locks. Kent Rengo shared |
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| USACE Detroit District OTD [Nov 10] in 1893 workers took a few minutes to pose for a photo as they set the last stone into place on the original Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. While this marked a major milestone in the project, crews still had to finish the approach canals, install the wooden floor and all the machinery before the lock opened in 1896. Kent Rengo shared A more positive note that happened on this day. [There had been several posts remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking in 1975 at 19:10 hours] |
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| USACE Detroit District posted A crowd assembles to watch the placement of the first stone of the original Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on this day in 1891. The original Poe Lock replaced the State Lock and remained in service until 1955 and was removed to make way for the current Poe Lock in 1961. |
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| USACE Detroit District posted With only a short break in navigation each year crews both past and present make the most of each day and every opportunity to work on critical equipment. This photo, taken #OTD in 1935 shows the Davis Lock serving as a dry dock allowing for hull inspections and repairs while work is underway on the lock. Andrew Haenisch shared |
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| USACE Detroit District posted [On Mar 24, 1914], the longest navigation lock in the world at that time was months away from opening. Built in just seven years, the Davis Lock is 1,350 feet long and 80 feet wide. Its lower operating gates, each leaf measuring 51 feet high and 45.5 feet wide dwarf the men posing in front of them in this March 17, 1914 photograph. Chris Bauman: I'm guessing they built it for multi ships at a time. |
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| USACE Detroit District posted [On Apr 13, 1914], workers assemble the upper operating gates for the Davis Lock. Safety standards were clearly a little different back then. What safety equipment and measures would crews doing this work use today? [To summarize the comment: hard hats, safety harness (fall protection), scaffolding and worker lifts.] |
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| USACE Detroit District posted The Davis Lock, called the “3rd Lock” during construction, was about eight months from opening for business when this photo was taken in February 1914. These are the nearly complete guard gates at the lock’s upper end. Guard gates were used at the Davis and Sabin locks upper and lower ends as temporary dams allowing chamber dewatering for inspections and maintenance. Guard gates are still used as temporary dams at the Poe and MacArthur locks lower ends. George Kaleniecki: What powered the gates to open and close by chance U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District: George Kaleniecki The guard gates are not powered, they are moved into place using capstans and tug boats. Once the pumps start working and the water in the chamber is about two feet lower than the level of the river water pressure holds them closed. |
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| USACE, Detroit Disctrict posted Dale Pohto: Great view of a H. K. Porter light duty saddle tank locomotive in action! Fort Loudoun Lock posted An amazing historic pic of one of the Soo Lock's construction dating back to 1914. Very rare photo! |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted #OTD [Jan 12] in 1896, crews still had eight more months of work to complete before the original Poe Lock opened for business. This photograph looking downstream captured many key features of the lock: the upper sill in the foreground, beyond that the stone masonry chamber walls, the filling and emptying ports on the lock floor and the lower operating gates. To the right of the lock, workers built the first two floors of the current Administration Building. Danny Thompson shared |
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| I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted 1000' x 105' Burns Harbor in the Poe Lock while the 678' x 70' Wilfred Sykes in the MacArthur Lock. Sunday midday 5/23/21. -Jim |
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| Rudy Maki posted Eugene J. Buffington downbound in the MacArthur lock, Aug. 6, 1971. John Dykstra waiting in background, Ernest T. Weir leaving the Poe lock. |
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| Public Domain from PostBulletin The Algoma Guardian enters the MacArthur Lock |
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| Dan Barber posted (source) Circa 1909 - Sault Ste. Marie: the Sabin Lock empty. [A nice view of the double-bascule bridge.] |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted With the Sabin Lock nearing completion in 1919, workers assemble the lower guard gates. These gates are 51-feet high and each leaf measures 45.5-feet long. |
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| Al Miller posted A. H. Ferbert mingles with good company at the Soo in a postcard view from about 1963. |
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| Comments on Al's post |
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| Gerald Vilenski posted Soo Locks, 1890. The ship up front is the Nelson of Hampton. The rest are too difficult to read... Mark Lambert http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/005170 Mark Lambert http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/.../data...\ Mark Lambert http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/57564/data Mark Lambert https://books.google.com/books?id=mFwuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA207... |
Steve Vanden Bosch posted three photos with the comment: "These photos are from the Library of Congress of the Locks with one photo showing the whaleback barge 130 being towed out of the Poe Lock downbound."
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| 2 Frederick Selstrom Now that's Boat Watching ! |
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| Mike Harlan posted Logs through the Locks , Ron Hoult I wonder when this last was done. I think it stopped in the 1960s. |
I'm saving a satellite image since it is supposed to change because the second big lock has finally got some funding.
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| mi0608 (an index of 14 more photos) |
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| USACE, Detroit posted It takes a pretty big hole to build what will be longest lock in the world. This 1911 photo shows excavation well underway for what will become the 1,350 foot long Davis Lock in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. When it opened in 1914 it was the longest lock in the world. Jessica Scott Burns Back when things got done. Still waiting for this new lock; 34 years now? Andrew Haenisch shared |
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| Emmet McNamara posted Coming in [Note the tugboat near the bow that is shoving the boat up against the lock's guide wall. Since we can see the bridges, this boat is downbound. The double-arch bridge is the International Bridge.] |
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| I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
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| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted In February 1914 crews were working on the upper gates of the Davis Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The lock went into operation in October that year. |
Since 1986, the Davis and Sabin Locks are supposed to be replaced by one lock that is big enough to handle lakers. They broke ground on June 30, 2009. But it hasn't been funded. (Buying a spade for ground breaking is a lot cheaper than actually building the thing.)
[Wikipedia]
The replacement of the two unused locks by a $580 million second "laker" lock is on a list of 40 potential U.S. infrastructure "megaprojects." I expected a lot of iron ore and grain to be shipped through the locks, but I was surprised that coal is also shipped. It turns out it is coal from the Wyoming Basin that is transloaded to boats on the west end of Lake Superior. 70% of the freight through the Soo Locks uses the Poe lock.
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| Lukas Iron shared mlive2017 Soo Locks being eyed for Infrastructure upgrades? From Sault St Marie.Ontario..Will it lead to improved rail transportation? |
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| A rendering showing the replacement of the Sabin and Davis with a second Poe-sized lock. Courtesy of USACE |
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| I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted |
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| Kari Eliason posted Looking up at Stubby coming down the Poe Lock. The first Footer has 5 feet of wiggle room. |
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| Clarence Vautier posted [Downbound boats in both the Poe and MacAurthor locks.] |
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| Danny Thompson shared On this day in 1913, crews were busy installing a crib dam below the original Poe Lock in preparation for work on the approach canal and piers. You can browse our entire collection of glass plate images at the Clarke Historical Library's website: https://www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/SooLocks/…/default.aspx |
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| Danny Thompson shared This photo from this date in 1893 shows men working on the First Poe Lock. Clearly safety requirements were a little different back then. What things do you see that would no longer be allowed? Anne Boyd Earle No hard hats; no life jackets or tether lines; is that seriously someone walking on the cables of that crane??? OSHA would have a field day with this. Terry Mitchell Anne Boyd Earle. Your right but I worked for ACE and our Safety is much Harder than OSHA Ours is more strict in addressing situations. For instance take Cranes We have a much more testing before they are Certified. Plus the riggers have to be Certified to rig a load of say palletized material. And We cover Divers. LOL The list goes on and on. |
The last ship through the locks in 2019 was on January 15.
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First, they have to build a pile of "stop logs" so the gates can also be dry for maintenance. Each log weighs 49 tons.
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| Henry Olrogge posted [Spring is coming, so the 888 is removing the stop gates after the winter repairs.] |
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| Bev Sharw shared Das Gift Haus posted When the Soo Locks ( Poe Lock) are very busy and you are on a tour boat with a schedule, sometimes you have to share, with a freighter. We had to get in front to avoid prop wash and be first out. Talk about splitting hairs, we passed it in the Lock. With a veteran 30-year tug boat captain, no problem. Photo and text by Edw J Reining |
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| USACE posted On this day in 1907, only 11 days from the opening of the navigation season, crews at the Soo Locks had their hands full removing ice from the Poe Lock. |
This photo of Soo Locks is courtesy of TripAdvisor
[If you click the photo on their site, you can navigate through some more historic photos of the locks.]
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| David Kaye posted Lee A Tregurtha in the Soo Lock Canal. 7-2-19 [The reason for saving this photo is that the bascule leaves are up.] |
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| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted It was a day of heavy traffic for crews on duty at the Soo Locks on this day in 1892. |
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| USACE Ships wait to enter the Poe Lock during summer 2015 during a traffic backup caused by unexpected repairs to the MacArthur Lock. "The Soo Locks can’t accommodate 1,000-foot freighters today, Sept. 10, [2019,] since its largest lock is out of commission for emergency repairs. This is the second quick fix on the Poe Lock in about two weeks, UpNorthLive reports. The closure could cause a backup at the shipping channel....The Poe Lock is scheduled to be closed to navigation in order to complete repairs to the Upstream Gate 1 sill today, September 10, 2019. The lock is expected to be closed to traffic for approximately 12 hours, beginning at 9am to allow divers to safely make repairs. Concrete grouting of the sill is required to mitigate the risk of further concrete degradation. A more permanent repair will be made during the winter shut down period when the lock is de-watered." |
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| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted [Dec 17, 2019] The MacArthur Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan closed for the season on December 15. Critical repairs began immediately, including replacing gears that operate the lower gates and performing electrical system upgrades. The Poe Lock will be open to vessel traffic through January 15. Once closed, the Poe Lock will be dewatered for work on the gates, sills, emptying valves and cleaning the drainage system. Teams will conduct a thorough inspection to ensure safety and reliability. All work is scheduled to be complete before March 25, when the 2020 navigation season begins. Becky Algren Jones Just pray the Pie will handle ok without the help of the McArther Gary Thompson Becky Algren Jones very few ships are small enough to fit through the Mac anyway. |
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| Great Lakes Dredge & Dock |
Ben Stalvey shared with the comment: "One sweet looking MLC 300."
[mlive also has a copy of these USACE photos and captions. But my copy is ad free. The mlive article does have some background information in its intro.]
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| 1 Shortly after the last freighter for the season left the lock, crews moved cranes and barges into the lock to begin setting stop logs (steel bulkheads) at the upper end. Adam Bertrand US army LT Tug boat Which one?? U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District It is the USACE Tug Billmaier. This tug normally operates out of the Duluth Area Office but is supporting lock maintenance activities this winter. |
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| 2 Using the new heavy lift crane on a floating platform, eight stop logs are set into place to create a temporary dam at the upper end of the lock. Each log spans the 110 foot wide canal and weighs about 50 tons. |
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| 3 Workers remain in constant contact with the crane operator as the logs are lowered into slots in the lock walls. Crews on both sides of the canal ensure that the logs descend evenly to prevent them from sticking. |
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| 4 After setting the stop logs, the crane moved East in the lock to set a temporary bridge across the Poe Lock. Don Paton May I ask the weight of temporary bridge? looks heavy.U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District The bridge actually weighed more than the stop logs when it was set into place. The bridge was over 60 tons. Probably due to its width and the reinforcing required for heavy equipment to use it. |
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| 5 Workers help guide the bridge into position. Having temporary bridges across the MacArthur and Poe Locks has allowed more flexible use of heavy equipment during lock maintenance. Without the bridges, all equipment had to be delivered by barge before dewatering the lock and could not be removed or used elsewhere on the facility until spring. Bob Brickman Is this a ‘Bailey Bridge’?U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District This one is a panel bridge, similar to a Bailey Bridge |
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| 6 The Detroit District Dive Team plays an important role in dewatering the lock. Divers hook up bubbler systems and chink leaks between the stop logs. |
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| 7 With water temperatures around 34 degrees, divers were comfortable working in dry suits but on the surface tenders braved 18 degree air temperatures with the windchill making it feel like 1 degree. |
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| 8 The final dewatering task for the heavy lift crane is setting stop logs across the lower end of the lock. These logs, like the ones at the upper end, weigh about 50 tons each and will span the 110 foot wide canal. The crane will spend the winter at the lower end providing lifting support to crews working on the lock floor. |
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| 9 Workers help ease the log into its slot in the lock wall while the signalman tells the crane operator to hoist the load. Don Paton It’s me again, are these logs stored onsite for use again? Or where they fabricated for this job only??Greg Turner Both. They are stored onsite but additional stoplogs were procured so that the dewatering gate could also be maintained. [A comment on another photo indicated the stop logs weigh 50 tons apiece.] |
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| 10 As the log is lowered into the water a worker on each side holds a sounding line to monitor the depth of the log. This way even when the log is out of sight they can ensure it is sinking evenly and verify when it has reached bottom. |
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| 11 A view of the installed stop logs at the upper end. At the right the intake ports for the lock are visible. These openings in the lock monolith allow water to flow through the culverts and into the lock chamber. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District The logs are just over 4 feet high and across the center, where they are widest, are 8.5 feet wide. To span the entire canal and fit within their slots they are 116 feet long (6 feet longer that the width of the canal). |
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| 12 A view of the dewatered Poe Lock taken from the upper stop logs. Despite a snow storm crews were busy laying up the lock and staging equipment for the busy maintenance season. |
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| 13 A crane lowers equipment to the lock floor. |
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| 14 A view of the lower gates from the lock floor. Each gate is 57 feet tall and weighs 225 tons. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District Greg Turner gate two is pictured, if you look in the upper right you can see part of gate three in its recess. [Unfortunately, I don't know how the gates are numberd. I presume the numbering includes dewatering gates as well as the regular gates.] |
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| Jeff Koenigs commented on Ben's share 3 new machines set up there 12000 was July MLC 300 and GHC 130 in november. |
A video of "USCG Mackinaw up bound out of the Soo Locks around 12:45 today. 3-19-19."
A video of "Three footers in the Soo Harbor, Mesabi Miner, Paul R Tregurtha, Edgar B Speer on a beautiful summer day. Viewed from the Tower of History. 6-8-18"
A video of "Wilfred Sykes being lowered in the MacArthur Lock then leaving. 7-17-18
Time Lapse Video." There is also a sliver of a CSL boat entering the adjacent lock.
President’s Promise to Fix the Soo Locks Resonates With Sault Residents (source)
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| This image has been moved to "Construction of a New 'Poe Sized' Lock for the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River" |
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| This image has been moved to "Construction of a New 'Poe Sized' Lock for the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River" |
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| Saginaw River Marine Historical Society posted
Ric Mixter will do a FREE presentation for the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society in March. "The Soo Locks" starts at 6:30 pm on Saturday, March 21, 2020. More about this presentation at https://www.facebook.com/events/209061756929386/
Ric recently wrote and produced the segment “Soo Locks” for Great Lakes Now, a monthly news program for Detroit Public TV. He will share clips from the show and highlight some of the new technology designed to service and maintain the locks.
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| WFGR Soo Locks Drained And 6000,000 Pounds of Debris Removed [This article has several more photos.] |
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| This image has been moved to "Construction of a New 'Poe Sized' Lock for the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River" |
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| This image has been moved to "Construction of a New 'Poe Sized' Lock for the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River" |
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| Al Miller posted Arthur M. Anderson makes an icy passage downbound at the Soo. This undated photo is from my collection of old prints. From the appearance it could be winter or spring -- around Lake Superior those seasons often look alike. I'm guessing it's spring, so appropriate for today. Richard Wicklund: The Anderson is in the MacArthur Lock by the viewing stand on the left, which means this picture was taken before its lengthening in 1975. The USS circle below the name was applied to Tin Stackers in the late 1950's, so this could be a 1960's or early 1970's photo. Al Miller: Richard Wicklund Good points. I can just make out the International Bridge in the background, so that would push it into the '60s. |
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| Lake Superior State University posted This year [2021] the Soo Locks opened up 12 hours earlier than normal, marking the official start of the shipping season in the Great Lakes! The Laura L. Vanenkevort and Joseph H. Thompson tug-barge combo was the first ship of 2021 to be welcomed through the Soo Locks on Wednesday, March 24. You can read more about the opening day at https://upnorthlive.com/.../us-army-corps-welcomes-first... U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer John Masson. |
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| safe_image for Lake Superior and Michigan-Huron have both continued their seasonal declines |
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| Jan 16, 2022: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted It was a full lock for the final lockage of the [2021] navigation season at the Soo Locks. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted The final lockage for the season at the SooLocks had not one, but THREE boats. Leading the way is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tug Owen M. Frederick followed by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay and the 635-foot-long Sam Laud. The Laud surprised many boat watchers by sneaking out of the steel mill behind the Indiana Harbor to pass through the Poe Lock this afternoon. Don Paton: T’was a tough couple of days, a lot of ice seemed to happen very quickly this week. But now it’s over and crews can get started with the fixes. I’ll be watching. Kent Rengo shared |
I picked this screenshot of the time-lapse of it going through the lock because it catches some of the construction activity on the new lock.
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| Screenshot @ 0:19 We are proud to carry the building blocks of America!  Here is our M/V Herbert C. Jackson delivering materials for the New Lock at the Soo. #shippingmatters  : Ben Feinman |
I've never seen a lock bone dry before.
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| I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted @ 0:00 If you want to see something unique, the MacArthur Lock at the Soo Locks is currently empty and will be for what is said to be a couple of more weeks. Don’t worry though, the Poe Lock is currently open and that is the one that most of the ships use so you can watch ships lock through and also see an empty lock from the viewing platform! Steve Harris shared |
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| I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted @ 0:12 |
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| Screenshot @ 0:27 A tour boat goes around the tug Samuel de Champlian and her barge Innovation while they where tied up inside the Poe Lock. |
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| This image has been moved to "Construction of a New 'Poe Sized' Lock for the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River" |
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| This image has been moved to "Construction of a New 'Poe Sized' Lock for the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River" |
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| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District posted [On Feb 23,] "1918, crews used a temporary trestle to haul a steam powered crane out of the Sabin Lock. The Sabin Lock officially opened September 18, 1919 and closed in 1989. Contractors expect to begin demolition on parts of the Sabin Lock this year as work continues on the New Lock at the Soo." |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted A press release photograph of the Sabin Lock under construction. The written caption on the back of the image reads "General view of the fourth lock masonry looking southeast with the city of Sault Ste. Marie (Mich.) in background." "This view was taken in May 1917. Two west-bound steamers are in the third lock and have been lifted from the level of lower St. Mary's River to the Lake Superior level." The closest of the two ships has been identified as the Harry W. Croft (Image Source: Flicker collection of photographer Mikel Claussen). [The description continues to provide a history of the Harry W. Croft.] Kent Rengo shared |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted A photographer captured this view of work in progress on the Sabin Lock in February 1916. A close look reveals a worker walking through the snow on the left and another working on concrete forms towards the right. |
David Kaye posted four photos and a 1:27 video with the comment: "BBC St. Petersburg had a little trouble at the Soo Locks today. First on approach to the MacArthur Lock they bumped the wall and railing just outside the lower end of the MacArthur Lock. Then after leaving the lock they got sideways in the lock canal as the downbound American Integrity was approaching. Fortunately there was no contact between the two ships and the only damage was to the railing on the pier. 4-28-23"
[The video also captures the upstream gates opening.]
David Kaye shared
Linda Gaeth Boldyreff: Was there a Great Lakes pilot at the wheel?
Daniel Lindner: Linda Gaeth Boldyreff Yes, a pilot is required by law to be onboard throughout the Lakes. Current/wind can be disastrous for ships, no matter how large - I can almost guarantee you that whatever happened here was beyond the bridge team’s control.
Dave Nobbe: Wheelsmen are on the wheel. Pilots are there to advise headings and handling, etc.
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| 4 [Judging from the black exhaust, she is pushing the engine hard. It also looks like we are importing more wind turbine blades.] |
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| 1 of 7 photos posted by David Kaye Tug Spartan with barge Spartan ll in the MacArthur Lock. 4-30-23 Dennis DeBruler: A nice view of the mating of an articulated tug barge. |
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| 1 of 10 photos posted by David Kaye Maxima downbound at the Soo Locks this afternoon. 6-8-23 David Kaye shared |
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| Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted Dated April 28, 1917, an image of vessels alongside the Fort Brady Pier awaiting the opening of the navigation season of the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. (Image Source: National Archives – Records of the Chief of Engineers – Construction and Renovation Photographs of St. Marys Falls Canal and Locks Collection). All of the ships whose bows and stacks are visible in the photograph are ships of the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., a subsidiary of the U.S. Steel Corp. Among the individual vessels that can be identified in the image are the bulk freighters Henry H. Rogers (1906), William A. McGonagle (1916), D.G. Kerr (1916), D.M. Clemson (1916) and Eugene W. Pargny (1917). [The description continues with a history of the freighters.] Rich Kidd shared |
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| Dean Abramson posted I’ve never posted here before, but I’ve lurked for quite a while. I’m from Maine, but this past week I was at the Soo Locks. This barge (formerly a ship, I believe) named Intrepid came through, pushed by a tug called G L Ostrander. Laurent Côté: Barge Integrity. Was built as such. Cement carrier. Self-unloading. Built 1996. There is a second similar barge (Innovation) tugged by the Samuel De Champlain. Love the photo! (y) Tony Paul Crochet: Laurent Côté Correct the Integrity and Innovation were both built as barges by Bay Shipbuilding... |
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| David Nieuwkoop posted The SS Arthur M Anderson as she enters the Soo Locks |
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| Jim Lehocky posted Lots of. activity around the Soo Locks this morning 915a.m. 10/13/23. Harvest Spirit in the MacArthur Locks, Yulia heading into the Poe Lock and the Olive L. Moore tug/Menominee barge (upper left in wide shot) unloading stone for the new Super Lock. |
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| USACE, Detroit District posted 🛳It's a salty #FreighterFriday at the Soo Locks! The ocean going Beatrix and Federal Montreal head downbound in the MacArthur and Poe Locks as the Federal Fraser approaches from Lake Superior. #SooLocks #GreatLakesNavigationSystem 📸Photo by Chris Albrough, Soo Locks Lockmaster Kent Rengo shared |
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| Comments on the above post |
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| Cody Ames posted, Jan 16, 2024 The final freighter through the lock of the 2023-2024 shipping season, the Philip R Clarke made their way through the icy approach into the Poe lock just a few minutes ago. [The locks were scheduled to be closed later this Winter because it had been milde. The Clarke shows that they will keep them open for a freighter that is on the way if they call ahead.] |
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| Soo Locks Visitors Center Association posted A view of the empty Poe Lock from last week. There aren't any ships but the Soo Locks are a busy place! Terry Rosenbaum: Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs Season 4 Episode 23 showed the Soo Locks. You can watch it via streaming from several sources (Hulu, etc.). Edit: the title of the show is "Soo Locks Technician". Search on the title. Various sources list it under different season/episode numbers. Steven Levine shared |
I Love Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan posted two photos with the comment: "What a day at the Soo Locks! Around 1p.m.....drone shot looking towards the International Bridge. From left to right....Edwin H. Gott (under Int'l Bridge), Manitowoc (unloading stone for Soo Locks project), Federal Ruhr (leaving the Poe Lock), and the Algoma Discovery (in the MacArthur Lock). The other drone shot looking to the east....the Federal Ruhr in the Poe Lock, the Algoma Discovery in the Mac Lock, and the Paul R. Tregurtha waiting to get into the Poe Lock once the Federal Ruhr exits."
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| 1 of 4 photos posted by David Kaye A very rare occurrence, the Wilfred Sykes and the Joseph L Block in the Soo Locks at the same Time. 6-26-24 Roger LeLievre shared |
A video of the last freighter going through in Winter of 2024. Note that I caught them letting a crew member off with a boson chair. Some of the video is timelapse so that they can show the whole sequence. At 7:05, we can see that they have a crane ready to go for the 2024 maintenance work. And at 7:47 they have a couple more at the downstream end of the lock.
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| 8:11 video @ 0:33 |
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| 0:31 video, a fast timelapse video that does a day in a half-minute. Note the freighter queued up behind the one in the lock. |
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| Another screenshot from the 0:31 video |
"Each leaf of the lower operating gates is 63 feet wide, 60 feet high and weighs about 225 tons."
They used three 200-ton hydraulic jacks and oak timbers to raise the leaf to make room for the repair.
A time-lapse video from a boat going upbound (source).
A time-lapse video of Michipicoten locking downbound with H Lee White leaving the Poe Lock in the background..
A time-lapse video of Michipicoten locking downbound with H Lee White leaving the Poe Lock in the background..
Stephen Mooney: That's a fab video, good to see it from the business end. Does the bow end of the barge have a bow thruster to help bring the bow round to port/starboard?
Kevin Lees: Stephen yes there is a bow thruster
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