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Show navigable dams for the reach between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The only existing hydroelectric power develop- ment on the main Ohio River is located at the rela- tively high-lift lock and dam 41 at Ohio Falls near Louisville. This plant is operated under Federal Power Commission license by the Louisville Gas & Electric Co. The navigation improvement pro- gram makes possible the development of additional power on the main river by providing fixed dams with high heads. In this connection provisions have been incorporated in the existing Gallipolis Dam and have been planned for the proposed New Cum- berland Dam for future power development. The storage to be provided by the proposed multiple- purpose reservoirs in the tributaries also improves the character and increases the value of this power. Studies of the main stem projects indicate that the combining of certain of the contemplated re- placement dams in order to provide still fewer and higher head dams for greater power develop- ment may be warranted. Investigations may show that the proposed Greenup and Fernbank proj- ects might be advantageously relocated and modi- fied to provide power heads of up to 50 feet. With such heads the plants would not be as readily inundated by flood flows and could be operated for greater percentages of the year. This would add to plant dependability and to the total energy that could be produced from those reaches of the river. Such a system of dams would benefit navigation by making fewer lockages with greater depths through the pools. In considering long-range navigation require- ments, the advisability of increasing navigable depths in the Ohio River from 9 to 12 feet is being studied. Locks being constructed under the present replacement program are made adaptable to the 12-foot depth. In view of the rapidly grow- ing demands upon navigation facilities in the basin and the integration of these facilities with naviga- tion improvements existing, being undertaken, or contemplated in other parts of the inland water- way system, including the Great Lakes, possibilities for even greater depths should not be overlooked. The increase in power production which could be provided with modification of the navigation pro- gram indicates that consideration should be given to plans that would permit optimum development of power in combination with deeper draft navigation. Among the problems encountered in such an un- dertaking are those of inundations of lands, rail- roads, and highways. The power that might be developed in connection with the coordinated de- velopment of the lower Ohio River and adjacent rivers for navigation, flood control, and other pur- poses has been discussed. (See problem A-3.) In addition to the power possibilities at main stem navigation projects, there are opportunities for the development of power at navigation dams on the tributary streams. At present, power is de- veloped by private utilities under license at the Lon- don, Winfield, and Marmet Dams on the Kanawha River and at lock 7 on the Kentucky River. The Cheatham Lock and Dam now under construction on the Cumberland River will be adaptable to future power installation. The construction of multiple-purpose reservoirs also provides opportunities for power development both at the reservoirs and at sites located on the tributaries downstream from the reservoirs. The conservation storage provided at such reservoirs would be beneficial to power developed on the main river in connection with navigation improvements. In addition, use of the flood control storage ca- pacities would reduce the periods of power outage at the Ohio River dams during high-flow periods. In the Cumberland River subbasin a system of multiple-purpose reservoir projects with power plants has been authorized and construction is under way. In most of the remaining tributaries with im- portant power potentialities, however, the develop- ment of power is opposed by local interests for vari- ous reasons so that plans for power production have not been adopted. Under such circumstances, the planning of projects for immediate construction should provide for eventual realization of the full power possibilities. Conclusions Since a substantial part of the hydroelectric power potentially available in the Ohio River Basin will be developed in connection with multiple-purpose reservoirs and navigation projects, integration of power development with other purposes is essential to realization of the optimum power potentialities. Studies should be undertaken at an early date with the view to a thorough exploration of the feasi- bility and desirability of constructing a system of relatively few high-lift dams on the main Ohio River to provide a deep draft navigable waterway and to develop in connection therewith the substan- tial amounts of potential hydroelectric power on the main stem of this river. 675 |
