Iroquois Lock and Dam on the St. Lawrence Seaway

Current: (Satellite) Note that there are two sets of lock gates at each end. I have not found an explanation as to why this is the case.

Pre-Seaway: (Satellite)

Postcard, SHIL028

Pat English posted

The pre-seaway Iroquois Lock. [Galop Canal Lock #25.]

It’s still there without the lock gates and is now used as a marina. 

The picture was taken from the upstream end and you can see there was a bigger level drop than there is in the new lock. 

Before the creation of the Seaway the St Lawrence River dropped 80 Ft from Iroquois to Cornwall/Massena. 

The picture was published in the March 17, 1976, Iroquois Post Newspaper

Craig Stevenson: This is the "new old" lock, built in the late 1890s with a 14' [4.3m] depth and a length that allowed it to be used as a "fleet lock" to accommodate three upbound canallers at a time.

The photo was taken from the perspective of the swing bridge that crossed the canal. The concrete base of the bridge is still in place.

The depth of the old lock is greater than today's guard lock and dam because it was at the end of the Galop Canal that begin at Lock 27/28. I could not find Lock #26. I'm surprised that the canal is clear of algae since it has been filled in at several places.

Street View, May 2023

I became aware of the Seaway dam and lock from this photo:

Carl Burkett from Self Unloader ALGOSTEEL - Her Last Transit (source)
With Iroquois Lock behind her, ALGOSTEEL quickly picks up speed and motors by the lower approach wall and the control dam in the background.

(new window) Note the prop wash when he guns the engine after he clears the lock. And you think a hot-rod car has a lot of horsepower.


In Winter 2025, they added vacuum mooring facilities to the lock.

4:07 video @ 1:05

Pat English posted three photos with the comment:

The Vacuum Pads at Iroquois Lock are in various states of construction. 

The East one has the reinforcing steel in place. 

The middle one has the cement forms in place in over the rebar.

The West one is covered in tarps so they can blow in hot air but I couldn't tell if the concrete has been poured yet

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Not only did they build a river control dam and lock, they moved the entire town of Iroquois, ON, away from the river so that it would no longer be in a flood plain. They built a "house mover" and a road up a hill for it to use. [StLawrencePiks, search for "SHIL001:".] Then search for "SHIL045:" to see what the area looked like after the town, railroad, and highway had been moved uphill but before the old shore was flooded.

CarlzBoats caught a ship entering the lock, a saltie-laker entering the lock

3:06 video
"Sucking up to Sailors - Installing Vacuum Mooring at Iroquois Lock 4K"

Pat English posted four photos with the comment:

The installation of Cavotec Hands Free Mooring unit 3 appears to be complete. Units 1 & 2 won't be far behind. 

Iroquois Lock was the only lock in The St. Lawrence Seaway that didn't have these.

I am told by people at the Locks that no one lost their job and in fact maintaining these units has created jobs.

March 19, 2025

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Mar 19, 2025:

Paul M. Kozmin posted
All pads installed.