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Video by Michel Sauret

Pittsburgh District continues lock operations through wintery conditions

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

Jan. 8, 2025 | 1:54

Lock operators and maintenance workers shovel snow and continue to perform lock operations through wintery conditions at the Emsworth Locks and Dams, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District on the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Jan. 8, 2025. The Pittsburgh District operates 23 total locks and dams throughout the year in all weather conditions, including winter, regardless of snow and ice. The facilities provide lockages for approximately 50,000 vessels carrying 140 million tons of commodities annually along 328 miles of navigable waterways. The locks also provide free passage to approximately 22,2000 recreational lockages each year on the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers combined. The Emsworth Locks and Dams facility stands at the head of the Ohio River navigation system and forms a 24-mile pool on the three rivers around the city of Pittsburgh. Not only does Emsworth help create the beautiful vista around Point State Park, its role in maintaining a navigation pool is instrumental to the regional economy. The facility has been in operation since 1921, and it averages about 470 commercial lockages every month. Lock operators and maintenance workers are just two of the many career opportunities the Pittsburgh District offers to 800 employees who specialize in a wide range of disciplines. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District video by Michel Sauret) NOTE: "Get the Job Done" by Tunestogo licensed for organizational & government use.