Lock and Dam No. 18

Lock and Dam No. 18 operates with three roller gates and fourteen tainter gates across the Mississippi River, spanning 1,350 feet in total length.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers constructed this navigation facility between 1934 and 1937, marking a period of infrastructure development along the Mississippi River.

The 2,049-acre historic district encompasses one building, four structures, and four objects, representing early 20th-century engineering achievements on the National Register of Historic Places.

The lock chamber measures 110 feet in width and 600 feet in length, enabling commercial vessels and recreational boats to navigate different water levels of the Mississippi River.

The dam creates Pool 18, which holds 90,000 acre-feet of water and manages a catchment area extending over 113,600 square miles of the Upper Mississippi watershed.

Location: Illinois

Architects: United States Army Corps of Engineers

Elevation above the sea: 161 m

GPS coordinates: 40.88170,-91.02420

Latest update: March 6, 2025 12:34