The London Locks and Dam, the uppermost lock-and-dam on the Kanawha River, is located near Handley, West Virginia. It accommodates navigation upstream towards Kanawha Falls.
Between 1875 and 1898, the federal government built ten low-lift wicket dams with single lock chambers along the Kanawha River. 4 This made it the first river in the nation to be canalized using wicket dams. These dams allowed for year-round water transportation along a 90-mile stretch of the Kanawha, from Point Pleasant to Boomer. 5 One of these dams, known as the Kanawha River Lock and Dam No. 2, was completed in 1898.
However, the presence of ten locks within a 75-mile distance created delays for larger tows, as each barge had to be locked through separately. 7 In 1929, federal legislation was enacted to establish a uniform nine-foot depth along the Ohio River. This requirement posed a challenge for shippers along the Kanawha, who aimed to expand their coal businesses.
With authorization by the River and Harbor Acts of July 3, 1930, 1 2 3 and funding from the Public Works Administration, the ten locks and dams were replaced with four high-lift dams with German roller gates and dual lock chambers in the early 1930s, 5 providing a consistent nine-foot navigation depth. 7 The London Locks and Dam, designed by Harry Pockras and constructed by the Dravo Corporation of Pittsburgh 6 at the cost $3,269,800, 1 with the locks becoming operational in September 1933 and the project completed in May 1934.
The dam is 26 feet high and consists of a non-navigable, gated structure measuring 557 feet in length, featuring five roller gates spanning 100 feet between piers. 2 Two parallel lock chambers were built, with the landward lock being 56 feet wide and 360 feet long, and the riverward lock being 56 feet wide and 407 feet long. At the site, American Electric Power operates a hydroelectric plant equipped with two turbines, providing a total capacity of 14,400 kilowatts.
In 1994, the main and auxiliary miter gates were replaced. 2 For 2015, the London Locks and Dam handled 1,128,000 tons of cargo through the locks, ranking 131st in the nation. 2
Information
- State: West Virginia
- Route: Kanawha River
- Type: Dam, K Deck Truss
- Status: Active - Other
- Total Length: 557'
- Spans: 100'×5
Sources
- “London Locks and Dam.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- “London Locks and Dam.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- “LONDON LOCKS AND DAM – LONDON WV.” The Living New Deal.
- Sutphin, Gerald W. “Locks and Dams.” The West Virginia Encyclopedia, 7 Oct. 2010.
- “Great Kanawha History.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Marshall University Department of Geography. “London Locks and Dam.” West Virginia Historic Property Inventory Form, Apr. 1991.
- Sypolt, Larry N. “Kanawha River Navigation System.” National Register of Historic Places, 1995.