Soo Locks facts for kids
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St. Marys Falls Canal
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Aerial view of the Soo Locks. View is looking east, with Canada on the left and the United States on the right
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan |
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| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Corps of Engineers |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000394 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 13, 1966 |
The Soo Locks are a super important set of water gates that help ships move between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. They are found on the St. Marys River. This river connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The locks are right between Michigan in the U.S. and Ontario in Canada.
Think of the locks as a giant elevator for ships! They help boats get around the fast-moving parts of the river, where the water drops about 21 feet (6.4 meters). Even though they close in winter (January to March) because of ice, about 10,000 ships use them every year. The winter break is used to check and fix the locks.
The name "Soo" comes from the two cities nearby, both called Sault Ste. Marie. One is in Ontario, Canada, and the other is in Michigan, USA. A big bridge, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, lets cars drive over the locks. There's also a railroad bridge nearby. The first locks here opened way back in 1855. They were a huge engineering project, like the Erie Canal. The Soo Locks were named a National Historic Landmark in 1966 because they are so important.
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Exploring the U.S. Soo Locks
The locks on the U.S. side are part of a canal called the St. Marys Falls Canal. This canal is about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long. The United States Army Corps of Engineers owns and takes care of the whole canal and its locks. They even let ships pass through for free! The first U.S. Soo Locks were finished in May 1855. Michigan ran them until 1881, when the U.S. Army took over.
Meet the Main Locks
Today, there are two main lock chambers that ships use. They are side-by-side, starting from the Michigan shore and going north towards Canada.
- The MacArthur Lock was built in 1943. It's 800 feet (244 meters) long, 80 feet (24 meters) wide, and 29.5 feet (9 meters) deep. This lock is big enough for ocean ships, sometimes called "salties." These ships also need to fit through smaller locks in the Welland Canal. The first ship to use it was the SS Carl D. Bradley.
- The Poe Lock was first built in 1896. It was the biggest lock in the world back then! It was 800 feet (244 meters) long and 100 feet (30 meters) wide. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tug USS Hancock was the first vessel through. The Poe Lock was rebuilt in 1968 to fit even bigger ships. This happened after the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, allowing huge ships into the Great Lakes. Now, it's 1,200 feet (366 meters) long, 110 feet (34 meters) wide, and 32 feet (9.8 meters) deep. It can handle ships carrying 72,000 tons (65,317 metric tons) of cargo! The Poe Lock is the only one that can handle the largest lake freighters. The Phillip R. Clarke was the first ship through after the rebuild in 1969.
Locks of the Past
Over the years, some older locks were replaced to make way for bigger and better ones.
- The State Lock was built between 1853 and 1855. Michigan got land from the government to build it after copper and iron ore were found near Lake Superior. This lock had two parts to handle the water level change. It was 350 feet (107 meters) long, 60 feet (18 meters) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 meters) deep. The original Poe Lock replaced it.
- The Weitzel Lock was built from 1873 to 1881. It was the first lock run by the U.S. government. At 515 feet (157 meters) long, 80 feet (24 meters) wide, and 17 feet (5.2 meters) deep, it was the longest lock in the world when it was finished. It stopped being used in 1919 and was later replaced by the MacArthur Lock in 1943.
- The Davis Lock was built in 1914. It was 1,350 feet (411 meters) long, 80 feet (24 meters) wide, and 23 feet (7 meters) deep. It was the longest lock in the world when it opened. It was officially closed in 2010.
- The Sabin Lock was built in 1919. It was a twin lock to the Davis Lock and was named after Louis Sabin, an engineer. It was also officially closed in 2010, at the same time as the Davis Lock.
Building a New Lock
A brand new lock is being built and should be ready by 2030. Work started on June 30, 2009. This new lock will be as big as the Poe Lock. It will help more large lake freighters pass through, which is much needed. This new lock is replacing the old Davis and Sabin Locks, which were not used much anymore. In May 2020, the first part of building the new lock began.
Next to where the new lock is being built, there's a channel with a small power plant. This plant uses water to make electricity for the whole lock area.
Engineers Day: A Special Visit
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a Visitors Center and a viewing deck where you can watch the ships. But there's a super cool event called Engineers Day! On the last Friday of every June, the public can actually go behind the security fences. You can walk across the lock gates of the U.S. Soo Locks! During this special day, you can get close enough to touch the ships as they pass through the two locks that are usually working.
Normally, the locks are U.S. Federal property. This means that people who don't work there are not allowed on the locks. If you go without permission on other days, you could face fines or even jail time for trespassing. So, Engineers Day is your chance to see them up close!
The Canadian Lock
The very first lock on the St. Marys River was actually on the Canadian side! It was built in 1798 by the Northwest Fur Company to help with the fur trade. But it was destroyed by Americans in 1814 during the War of 1812 to stop British trade.
Today, there's one small lock on the Canadian side of the Soo. It opened in 1895 and was rebuilt in 1987. It's 77 meters (253 feet) long, 15.4 meters (51 feet) wide, and 13.5 meters (44 feet) deep. The Canadian lock is mostly used by smaller boats, like recreational boats and tour boats. The really big cargo ships still use the U.S. locks.
Images for kids
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The first Soo Locks in the 19th century
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Anchor Line steamer in the Soo Locks, around 1900s
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A whaleback ship goes through the Poe Lock, around 1910
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Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
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The last ship of the 2013 season passes through the Poe Lock
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USCGC Mackinaw passes through Soo Locks
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