Morgantown Lock And Dam

Overview

Completed in 1950, this dam on the Monongahela River provides a 9-ft navigable channel to Hildebrand Lock & Dam. Morgantown Lock and Dam is located at river mile 102.0 at the city of Morgantown, WV. The lock chamber and operations building are situated along the left bank of the river. Road access to the project is from a state road leading south from the U.S. Route 19 bridge crossing the river at Morgantown. Morgantown Lock and Dam consists of a lock chamber and a gated dam. This type of dam is constructed to permit increased control over the water level in the navigation pool upriver of the dam. Machinery mounted on tall concrete piers moves large chains which lift gates that are hinged into the body of the piers. As the gates are raised or lowered to control the amount of water flowing under them, the upstream pool is maintained at a relatively constant level for an authorized depth of at least 9 feet throughout its length. The dam, however, cannot be operated to control flood flows. An incidental benefit derived from the pool formed by the dam is the availability of a source of municipal and industrial water.

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