Work On Replacing Piping At Robert S Kerr Lock And Dam Completed

Crews have replaced old galvanized steel pipes at the Robert S Kerr Lock and Dam near Sallisaw with new stainless steel pipes.

The US Army Corps of Engineers in Tulsa says the locks at Kerr Dam are one of five within their district on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation system.

Hydraulic power assists with the opening and closing of the locks.  The Robert S Kerr Lock and Dam was completed in 1970 and since then, aging has taken its toll on the locks' piping.

"The original pipes had gotten so bad; we were expecting a complete failure at any time. That would have resulted in an unscheduled shut down of the navigation system. And that would be real costly," said Greg Barnes, Navigation and Fleet Operations Manager.

Barnes says the last thing you want to fail is the ability to open and close one of those huge gates. When that happens, the entire lock is shut down.

He says that was about to happen at Lock and Dam 15. 

The pipes at Webbers Falls were replaced in 2004, and W. D. Mayo pipes were replaced in 2012.

The Corps says the pipes at the remaining two locks are scheduled to be replaced when funding becomes available.