Representatives with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were the guest speakers at the Princeton Rotary Club’s meeting on Tuesday and shared extensive information about the Kentucky Dam and the Barkley Dam locks.
Caleb Skinner, the Supervision Navigation Facilities Specialist, explained that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is divided into four districts, with the Barkley Dam Lock and Kentucky Dam Lock falling under the jurisdiction of the Nashville District. He noted that the Tennessee River, spanning 24.2 miles from the Kentucky Dam to the Ohio River, is relatively short and wide. In contrast, the Barkley Dam, which is fed by the Cumberland River, extends 30.6 miles and features several narrow sections.
click to download audioAccording to Skinner, the Kentucky and Barkley Locks serve as the “gateway to the South,” facilitating the movement of commerce to and from industries along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. He noted that boats typically experience an average delay of 8 to 12 hours per day at the Kentucky Lock due to its small 600-foot chamber. When the lock is closed, as it was on Tuesday, it incurs significant costs.
click to download audioHe explained the impact of the river system, noting that $7.9 billion worth of commodities are transported on barges, and illustrated how this compares to the equivalent transportation using tractor-trailers.
click to download audioHe shared that the locks are one of the nation’s largest security assets.
click to download audioSkinner also provided a breakdown of the commodities, highlighting that petroleum has seen a significant uptick in shipments to Nashville.
click to download audioOther commodities shipped via barges include Atlas 5 rockets to Cape Canaveral, Florida, parts of the Space Station, and military equipment, to name a few.
Skinner noted that the process of filling and draining a chamber now takes about 45 minutes, compared to the old, smaller chamber, which took approximately four hours.
Captain Rachel Nelson, the Kentucky Lock Project Manager, also provided Rotarians with information on the new Kentucky Lock project.
