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Opekiska Lock and Dam
1241 Opekiska Road
Fairmont, WV 26554-8612
304-366-4224
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Opekiska Lock and Dam is one of nine major structures
on the Monongahela River which provides year-round navigation from
Pittsburgh, PA, to Fairmont, WV Visitors are welcome at Opekiska
Lock and Dam, but because of the limited hours of operation for this
facility, you should check in advance with the lock by calling 304-366-4224
Location
Opekiska Lock and Dam is located at river mile 115.4, about 7 miles
northeast of the city of Fairmont, WV The lock chamber and operations
building are situated along the right bank of the river. Road access
to the project is from a state road leading north from the community
of Smithtown.
History
Completing the modernization of the West Virginia portion of the
Monongahela River was realized with the construction of the Opekiska
Lock and Dam project in the years 1961 to 1964. Thus Locks 14 and
15, the last of the 60-year-old locks and dams, were removed. The
navigation channel on the Monongahela River now extends from The
Point in Pittsburgh several miles into the Tygart and West Fork
rivers at Fairmont, WV
Project
Information
Opekiska Lock and Dam consists of a lock chamber and a gated dam.
This type of dam is constructed to permit increased control over
the water level in the navigation pool upriver of the dam. Machinery
mounted on tall concrete piers moves large chains which lift gates
that are hinged into the body of the piers. As the gates are raised
or lowered to control the amount of water flowing under them, the
upstream pool is maintained at a relatively constant level for an
authorized depth of at least 9 feet throughout its length. The dam,
however, cannot be operated to control flood flows. An incidental
benefit derived from the pool formed by the dam is the availability
of a source of municipal and industrial water.
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