Big Sandy River Lock No. 3

Lock No. 3 is an abandoned lock and dam on Big Sandy River at Louisa, Kentucky, and Fort Gay, West Virginia.

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Lock No. 3 on the Big Sandy River, located at Fort Gay, 26.2 miles upstream from the Ohio River, was completed in 1897. ¹ It featured a 270-foot-long dam and was engineered to provide a 10.6-foot lift. The lock itself measured 158 feet in length and 52 feet in width.

Construction on this lock began in 1883 under the direction of Engineer B.F. Thomas. ² The project faced several delays and cost overruns. In 1891, a significant alteration was made to the original plan, switching from a fixed dam to a moveable needle dam at Fort Gay, a first of its kind in the United States.

The total expenditure for Lock No. 3 reached $750,000 by its completion in 1897. ² This achievement drew attention, including visits from engineers from Mississippi and Hungary and the Congressional River & Harbor Committee.

In 1902, the federal government approved a project to raise the height of the Fort Gay lock. ² Despite this upgrade, transportation through the lock decreased significantly, from 300,000 tons to 194,000 tons.

The lock’s operations were reduced in 1920 due to ongoing repairs. ² By 1922, traffic through the lock had dwindled with a minimal amount of coal and oil sent through. Locking operations were discontinued in 1947. ^{1 3}

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Details

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Sources

1. “Big Sandy River.” American Canal Society Canal Index.
2. “The Fort Gay Lock and Dam.” The Historical Marker Database, 2019.
3. “Navigation Is Scheduled For River Lock System.” Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Sept. 1947, p. 14.