Nashville, Tenn. (July 14, 2016) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District and Tennessee Valley Authority invites the media to cover the Chickamauga Lock dewatering 1 p.m. July 20, 2016. Subject matter experts from both organizations will be available to discuss the ongoing maintenance at the lock and address other questions about the dam.
Media have to wear long pants and steel toe shoes and should expect to get dirty going down into the empty lock while getting a close look at the ongoing work. Reporters, photographers and videographers must provide their full name and state driver license number to the Corps of Engineers via e-mail at chief.public-affairs@usace.army.mil no later than noon Friday (EST), July 18, 2016 for security background checks prior to the media event. Any media that shows up without the check will be denied access. On the day of coverage, media should report to the Chickamauga Lock Resident Engineer Office located at 5518 Trailhead Drive, in Chattanooga, Tenn., by 12:45 p.m. to receive a safety briefing and safety gear.
Chickamauga Dam and Lock is located at Tennessee River mile 471 in Chattanooga, Tenn. When the Corps of Engineers drains 11 million gallons of water from the lock by opening the miter gates and using submersible pumps, mechanics will comb over the entire lock to pinpoint any components that are worn or in disrepair. They will inspect the steel gates and make welding repairs to steel structures that have deteriorated from constant exposure to water, and look at pins and bushings on the valves and repair them as needed.
Chickamauga Lock has growing concrete in its structure, which is a reaction between the alkali in the cement and the minerals in the stone. Lengthwise, the lock has actually grown five inches inside the lock chamber. The approach walls have grown even more. Corps of Engineers and TVA working together continues making temporary repairs to the project spending large maintenance dollars. Corps and TVA have determined that Chickamauga Lock does have a finite life.
For more information about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, visit the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and http://www.facebook.com/centerhilllake, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.
Release no. 16-018