Tennessee Valley Authority
Watts Bar Navigation Lock to Close for Repairs, Maintenance
Lock will be closed for the Tennessee-Alabama football game
October 6, 2010
SPRING CITY, Tenn. – The navigation lock at Watts Bar Dam near Spring City will close for repairs and routine maintenance beginning Oct. 13.
The lock, which raises and lowers boats and barges so they can move from one reservoir to another, will be closed to all boats and watercraft for approximately four weeks.
The lock will be closed for the University of Tennessee’s home football game in Knoxville against the University of Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 23. Watts Bar Dam does not have an auxiliary navigation lock.
Repair crews with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will remove the water from inside the lock, perform a thorough inspection, clean and paint the large lock gates, and make major repairs to the underwater components of the lock.
This project is part of TVA’s asset preservation program, a maintenance program to protect the integrity of dams and help ensure the safe operation of the lock system.
For more information about TVA navigation locks and how they work, go to http://www.tva.com/river/navigation.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.
Media Contact
Travis Brickey, Knoxville, (865) 632-6263
Media Relations, Knoxville (865) 632-6000