Authority
River and Harbor Act of 3 July 1909, Sixteenth Congress, 2nd Session.
Cost
Estimated Construction $64,882,900
Dam
Non-navigable, high-lift, gated dam, top length of 1,173'. Eight tainter gates, clear span 110' between 15' intermediate piers and 16' end piers, damming height 32' above sills, clearance above maximum high water when fully raised approximately 5'. The hydropower unit is completed.
Hydroelectric
The American Electric Power Company owns and operates a hydroelectric generating plant on the Ohio abutment of Racine Dam. The project includes two 24,000 KW bulb-type Kaplan turbines operating 24 hours per day as run of river conditions permit. Both turbines were placed in commercial operation in January 1983. This hydroelectric project was constructed by Appalachian Power Company in cooperation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commision under License Number 2570, dated 27 December 1973.
Land & Easements
Of an estimated 2,030 acres in the project, approximately 161 acres fee required for the lock site, 88 acres fee for the abutment site, 5 acres fee for recreation sites, and flowage easement or other lesser interests over the remaining area. In addition, 11.6 acres fee was reassigned from old lock and dam sites.
Locks
Two parallel locks, main lock 1200' by 110', auxiliary lock 600' by 110', miter service gates, vertical-lift emergency gates.
Net Land Owned
161.4 acres fee at lock site, 87.6 acres fee at abutment site, 5.3 acres fee at recreation site, 1,764.2 acres flowage easements, 11.6 acres fee reassigned from old lock and dam sites.
Pools
Normal upper pool elevation 560.0' m.s.l., upper pool length 33.6 miles to Belleville Dam, normal upper pool surface area 5,300 acres, normal lower pool elevation 538.0' m.s.l., (upper pool of Robert C. Byrd), and normal lift 22.0'.
Relocations
No extensive relocations necessary, but remedial measures required to adapt certain facilities to new pool conditions. Facilities include railroad and highway drainage structures and embankment slopes, municipal and industrial sewer outfalls and water intakes.
Status
Construction of the project began in May 1964 and is now complete. The locks were begun in April 1965 and were placed in operation 16 December 1967. The dam was initiated in August 1967 and the pool was rasied to full height 24 August 1971.