U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chooses Canal Over New Dam for Gallipolis Locks on Ohio River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opted for a canal option to improve the Gallipolis Locks and Dam on the Ohio River instead of constructing a new dam. The existing dam, built in the mid-1930s, became inadequate for modern barge traffic, necessitating lengthy lockages.
The Corps studied two solutions: digging a canal with longer locks or building a new locks and dam. The canal option was chosen for its quicker implementation despite higher costs. This decision has implications for local land use, as the area designated for the new dam is now the site of Nucor Steel's $4 billion mill under construction. The Corps typically acquires significant land for dam projects, suggesting that the canal choice may have preserved land for industrial development on the West Virginia side.
