Lock & Dam #17
Mississippi River Lock & Dam
New Boston, Illinois
| • Structure: |
Lock & Dam #17. |
| • Location: |
River Mile 437.1. |
| • Dam Width: |
3,250 Feet Overall, 1,211 Foot Main Structure. |
| • River Elevation (Pool): |
536 Feet. |
| • River Elevation (Outflow): |
528 Feet. |
| • Water Fall: |
8 Feet. |
| • Annual Lock Traffic: |
2,645 Vessels, 22,597,000 Tons (2005). |
| • Date Opened: |
May 14, 1939. |
Lock & Dam #17 is very much like its upstream sister structure
Lock & Dam #16. Like that dam, #17 has a structure holding back
the main river channel that runs between the Illinois side of the river
and connects to Otter Tail Island. An earthen low water dam blocks the
secondary channel known as Turkey Chute, which runs from the island to the
Iowa side of the great river. The main dam consists of 3 roller gates
and 9 Tainter gates. The lock structure has a standard 600 foot long by
110 foot wide main lock, plus an unfinished auxiliary lock.
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Photo and text by John A. Weeks III, Copyright © 2005, all rights reserved.
For further information, contact:
john@johnweeks.com