Maintaining Locks and Dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers
The Maintenance Section is responsible for conducting major repairs and improvement activities on navigation locks, flood control structures and related facilities within the Nashville District. The Maintenance Section is comprised of two small land-based crews (one based in Old Hickory, TN and one based in Florence, AL) and two floating plant-based crews (Plant Unit). This arrangement not only allows for allows for multiple maintenance jobs to be conducted at the same time but it provides a rapid response capability that allows them to be at any of the District's projects within hours if necessary. All the crews come together to work on major maintenance activities, such as lock closures and dewaterings.
Examples of Maintenance Section activities are:
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Major maintenance and repairs to Navigation Locks
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Unwatering a lock to make repairs below the normal water level
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Repairing major lock machinery components
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Reconditioning and updating lock electrical systems
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Inspect and repair underwater structures with divers
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Repair and recondition flood control gates on dams
In addition to the above activities, the Plant Unit of Maintenance and Repair Section conducts channel-related maintenance such as:
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Channel maintenance dredging
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Construction and repair of federal mooring facilities
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Removal of snags or other hazards to navigation traffic