Wednesday, February 2, 2022

1940,2005 Mississippi Lock and Dam #24 near Clarksville, MO

(John A Weeks IIISatellite)

JohnWeeks
"This was the first dam on the upper Mississippi River that was built exclusively using Tainter gates."
[And they are submersible gates that allow the ice to flow over the top of them in the Winter. John caught a double lock in progress.]

USACE-pdf
The lift is 15'. At the time of construction, USACE believed the 25'x80' Tainter gates were the largest ever constructed. The design was successful and made roller gates obsolete.

USACE-web
"A major rehab of the lock and dam was completed in 2005. This work consisted of replacing a large portion of the concrete in the lock chamber walls, walkways and work areas. Also, new gate and valve machinery was installed elevating the electrical components above the 1993 flood levels."

GreatRiverRoad
"The movable portion of the dam is 1,340 feet long and consists of 15 80-foot long tainter gates. A 2,720 feet submersible earthen dike extends from the movable dam to the Illinois shore....Lock and Dam No. 24 is what makes Clarksville famous among Bald Eagle fans. The lock and dam creates an open ice-free area of water and the churning water stuns the fish making them easy prey for the eagles....Lock and Dam #24 is listed on the National Audubon Society's Great River Birding Trail. They report that  a viewing platform at the dam provides views of Bald Eagles (mid-November through March,) Ospreys, and several species of gulls and terns during spring and fall migration. An annual Bald Eagle Event is held in late January."
[I'm glad I found this photo that was taken during a flood. It shows that the submersible earthen dike in the right background is indeed under water. I'm still trying to figure out how they keep it from eroding away. Perhaps the concrete part is long enough that all of the river's flow is passing through that part and the water is rather stagnate over the dike.]

Rebekah Carter shared six photos posted by Marty McKay with the comment: "Eagle Days in Clarksville MO.  Was lucky enough to get to take the tour of lock and dam #24."
1

2

3

4

5

6

Massman
"The work involved removal and replacement of the top 18 feet of the lock walls, removal and replacement of the auxiliary lock miter gates, dewatering of the lock, installation of new bulkhead slots, installation of a bubbler system, tow haulage system improvements, additions to the control building and electrical work. The work was performed over a 3-year period, however, the majority of the work occurred during three winter-time lock closures: one 60-day closure and two 90-day closures." 

No comments:

Post a Comment