Morgantown Lock and Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Morgantown Lock and Dam |
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| Location | Morgantown, West Virginia |
| Coordinates | 39°37′10″N 79°58′03″W / 39.61944°N 79.96750°W |
| Construction began | 1948 |
| Opening date | 1950 |
| Operator(s) | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District |
Morgantown Lock and Dam is a navigational lock and a gated dam on the Monongahela River at Morgantown, West Virginia. It is part of a series of dams that canalizes the Monongahela to a depth of at least 9 feet (2.7 m) for its entire length from Fairmont, West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District.
Morgantown has a single lock chamber located on the left-descending river bank. The dam's upper pool extends 6.0 miles (9.7 km) upstream to Hildebrand Lock and Dam, with its 11.2-mile (18.0 km) downstream pool being formed by Point Marion Lock and Dam.
History
Construction on Morgantown Lock and Dam began in 1948 and was completed in 1950. It replaced old Locks 10 and 11, timber crib structures installed in 1897-1903.
