Watery Wednesday: Locks On The River

Many of you may wonder if I live in West Virginia why so many of my photos are in Ohio. The Ohio River runs between the two states and on a scenic drive it is easy to cross back and forth many times. I get the scenic advantages on both sides of the river. The Muskingum river is a contributary to the Ohio.

These images are of a low dam above Lock 3 on the Muskingum River near Lowell, Ohio. There are ten locks along the river. The dams were built to regulate the river and not for power generation. The Muskingum River's 10 hand-operated locks are now recognized as one of America's great engineering accomplishments.

The stone you see in the left side of the photo is the wall of the dam. I really wish you could hear the sound of the water rushing downstream. It was a loud roar like a gushing waterfall. Yet standing there and looking at it I expected a more tranquil sound. The mist you see in the background is snow falling gently down to earth.

Glancing down between my feet I saw this carved outline of a dove. With that dear readers I wish you a day of blissful peace in your surroundings.

Click the Watery Wednesday badge to visit our hostess and view other watery scenes. It's a soothing virtual tour.

L is for Locks

This is the Corps of Engineers' Belleville Locks and Dam situated on the East Bank of the Ohio River in Belleville, West Virginia. It consists of two parallel locks. Belleville Hydroelectric is also located here. It is a non-profit power plant. The plant generates energy without emitting any standard atmospheric pollutants or contributing to global warming. Hydropower is the primary contributor of renewable energy in the United States and can be produced as long as rain falls and rivers flow. Hydropower projects also provide water management, flood control and recreational benefits.

Now this looks interesting doesn't it? Is it a hairy-cairy walk to the depths of the river? I can tell you that the path is steep and you feel like you have to tilt yourself back on your heels to keep from tumbling head over heels.And this is where the path leads - to a small fishing pier. The day I was here I could see folks catching a few fish. I have no idea what kind they were though. If you like fishing it was a nice pleasant place to be. There was even a place to clean your fish. Take the fish home; leave the messy part behind!