Opekiska Lock and Dam
Encyclopedia
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.
Opekiska has a single lock chamber located on the right-descending river bank. The dam's upper pool extends about 13 miles (20.9 km) upstream to the Monongahela's source at Fairmont
, West Virginia
. The pool also extends up the Monongahela's two primary tributaries, the Tygart Valley River
and the West Fork River
. Opekiska's 7.4 miles (11.9 km) downstream pool is formed by Hildebrand Lock and Dam.
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
and gated dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. 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. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
at Lowsville, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. 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
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District.
Opekiska has a single lock chamber located on the right-descending river bank. The dam's upper pool extends about 13 miles (20.9 km) upstream to the Monongahela's source at Fairmont
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The pool also extends up the Monongahela's two primary tributaries, the Tygart Valley River
Tygart Valley River
The Tygart Valley River — also known as the Tygart River — is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, approximately long, in east-central West Virginia, USA...
and the West Fork River
West Fork River
The West Fork River is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, 103 miles long, in north-central West Virginia in the United States...
. Opekiska's 7.4 miles (11.9 km) downstream pool is formed by Hildebrand Lock and Dam.