Army Corps keeps river traffic moving despite frigid temps, icy conditions
Whether it无毛视频檚 100 degrees outside in summertime or 11 below zero like it was last weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers无毛视频� crews are out manning the nearly two dozen locks and dam facilities in its Pittsburgh district keeping waterway traffic moving along the three rivers.
Even as the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers freeze during this prolonged cold snap, the Army Corps workers are out 无毛视频渆xercising无毛视频� the locks and moving ice through the chambers to maintain a navigable channel.
无毛视频淎ll of our facilities 无毛视频� not only on the Mon, but the Allegheny and Ohio 无毛视频� are fully operational, and that无毛视频檚 a testament to our crews keeping things running in these cold conditions,无毛视频� said Alan Nogy, who is chief of locks and dams for the Army Corps无毛视频� Pittsburgh District. 无毛视频淥bviously, the first challenge for my guys is the temperature. 无毛视频� Whether it无毛视频檚 80 or 18 below, my guys are out there.无毛视频�
The Army Corps in the Pittsburgh region maintains 22 locks and dam facilities leading to and from The Point. Eight are on the Monongahela extending from Pittsburgh to near Fairmont, W.Va.; eight are on the Allegheny from Brady无毛视频檚 Bend in Armstrong County; and six are on the Ohio River that extend to Hannibal, Ohio. While the extreme cold over the past two weeks has frozen portions of the Allegheny near The Point, there still remains a navigable channel for the more heavily traveled Monongahela and Ohio rivers.
But even if they无毛视频檙e not totally frozen over, ice gathering on top of the rivers can cause a blockage, so the crews have to continue operating the locks and move the ice through, otherwise the boats might not fit coming through the chambers.
无毛视频淛ust like we would lock a boat, we lock the ice and flush that ice through,无毛视频� Nogy said. 无毛视频淪ometimes we do it even when the boats aren无毛视频檛 coming through.无毛视频�
Their standard wintertime procedures involve 无毛视频渆xercising the gates无毛视频� just like a person would exercise a muscle to keep it in shape, Nogy said. He added that there are also 无毛视频渁ir bubblers无毛视频� near the facilities to keep ice from building up and so it 无毛视频渄oesn无毛视频檛 choke us out.无毛视频�
无毛视频淥ur mission is to be open and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We don无毛视频檛 have anything holding us back for anything coming through our facilities,无毛视频� Nogy said. 无毛视频淚ce lockage is just one of the things we无毛视频檙e doing. Multiple times a day our team is opening locks and gates, draining, doing anything to make sure we don无毛视频檛 slow down.无毛视频�
While the Army Corps operates the locks and dam network, the rivers themselves are under the purview of the U.S. Coast Guard. Nogy said the locks and dams system is meant to keep the river navigable and not necessarily for flood control. The locks and dams help elevate or lower boats coming through the rivers as the elevation changes, ensuring the rivers are navigable year-round as water levels change.
无毛视频淲e are flow control, not flood control on our projects,无毛视频� he said.
And now with Punxsutawney Phil predicting another six weeks of winter, the Army Corps crews will continue to be out braving the elements ensuring the locks and dam system is operating normally to help keep traffic moving on the three rivers. Nogy said that is a 无毛视频渢estament无毛视频� to the workers who man the 22 facilities, no matter the season.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 probably a lot of people who live in this region who don无毛视频檛 realize the importance of river transportation as it relates to moving (commerce) on the rivers and the benefits to our region and nation,无毛视频� Nogy said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 our responsibility to keep it going. That无毛视频檚 what we无毛视频檙e doing day in and day out 无毛视频� no matter the conditions.无毛视频�