Hildebrand Lock and Dam

Last updated
Hildebrand Lock and Dam
Hildebrand Lock and Dam.jpg
Location Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA
Coordinates 39°34′58″N80°00′40″W / 39.58278°N 80.01111°W / 39.58278; -80.01111 Coordinates: 39°34′58″N80°00′40″W / 39.58278°N 80.01111°W / 39.58278; -80.01111
Construction began 1950
Opening date 1960
Operator(s) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District
Dam and spillways
Impounds Monongahela River

Hildebrand Lock and Dam is a navigational lock and gated dam on the Monongahela River at Hilderbrand, West Virginia. (Hildebrand is a misspelling of Hilderbrand.) It is part of a series of dams that canalizes the Monongahela to a depth of at least 9 feet (2.7 m) for its entire length from Fairmont, West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District.

Dam A barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface or underground streams

A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. The earliest known dam is the Jawa Dam in Jordan, dating to 3,000 BC.

Monongahela River river in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, United States

The Monongahela River — often referred to locally as the Mon — is a 130-mile-long (210 km) river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. The river flows from the confluence of its west and east forks in north central West Virginia northeasterly into southwestern Pennsylvania, then northerly to Pittsburgh and its confluence with the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River. The river is navigable its entire length via a series of locks and dams.

Hilderbrand, West Virginia Unincorporated community in West Virginia, United States

Hilderbrand is an unincorporated community in Monongalia County, West Virginia.

Contents

Hildebrand has a single lock chamber located on the left-descending river bank. The dam's upper pool extends 7.4 miles (11.9 km) upstream to Opekiska Lock and Dam, with its 6.0-mile (9.7 km) downstream pool being formed by Morgantown Lock and Dam.

Opekiska Lock and Dam

Opekiska Lock and Dam is a navigational lock and gated dam on the Monongahela River at Lowsville, West Virginia. It is part of a series of dams that canalizes the Monongahela to a depth of at least 9 feet (2.7 m) for its entire length from Fairmont, West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District.

Morgantown Lock and Dam

Morgantown Lock and Dam is a navigational lock and a gated dam on the Monongahela River at Morgantown, West Virginia. It is part of a series of dams that canalizes the Monongahela to a depth of at least 9 feet (2.7 m) for its entire length from Fairmont, West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District.

History

Construction on Hildebrand Lock and Dam began in 1950 and was completed in 1960. [1] It replaced old Locks 12 and 13, timber crib structures completed in 1903.

See also

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