Markland Locks and Dam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Markland Locks and Dam
Markland Locks and Dam
Location	Gallatin County, Kentucky / York Township, Switzerland County, Indiana United States
Coordinates	38°46′29″N 84°57′51″W / 38.77472°N 84.96417°W / 38.77472; -84.96417
Construction began	March 1956
Opening date	June 1964
Operator(s)	United States Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District, Duke Energy Indiana
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Ohio River
Length	1395 ft (425.2 m)
Power station
Operator(s)	Duke Energy
Installed capacity	81 Mva

The Markland Locks and Dam is a huge structure that helps boats travel along the Ohio River. It's like a special bridge and water elevator all in one! This important dam connects Gallatin County, Kentucky and Switzerland County, Indiana. It's 1,395 feet (about 425 meters) long.

Markland Dam: A River Lifeline

The Markland Locks and Dam is a concrete structure that crosses the Ohio River. It includes both a dam and special "locks." Locks are like water elevators that help boats move between different water levels. This allows ships and barges to travel safely up and down the river.

Building the Dam

The idea for the Markland Locks and Dam came about to replace several older dams on the Ohio River. The plan was approved by the United States Secretary of the Army on March 11, 1953.

Work on the locks started in March 1956. They were ready to be used by May 1959. Building the dam itself began in April 1959. The entire project was finished in June 1964.

Generating Power

The Markland Dam also helps create electricity! The Federal Power Commission gave permission for a company called Cinergy to run a power plant here. This plant uses the force of the water flowing through the dam to make electricity.

Later, Cinergy was bought by another company called Duke Energy. The power plant at the dam can produce 81,000 kVA of electricity. This is enough power for many homes and businesses.

A Brief Hiccup

On September 27, 2009, one of the large locks, which is 1,200 feet long, had a problem. Its gates didn't close correctly because of a small part called a solenoid that stopped working.

The lock was closed for 155 days while it was being fixed. It reopened on March 1, 2010. Even though the big lock was closed, a smaller 600-foot lock kept working. This meant boats could still pass, but sometimes with delays.