Join us for the Finale @ the Historic Hoosier Theatre, December 3rd @ 4pm.
Please text Brack a picture all your keys and bring them on the 3rd.

The Ohio River was once no more than large creek. Its natural depth varied from a mere 3 feet to 20 feet. In times of drought or deep freezes traversing would have been easy. So, stories have passed for decades about how people have waded or walked from the banks of one side to the other. Slaves have told stories about escaping capture by walking, wading or swimming across the Ohio to evade their captures.

Then the steamboats came ...

At their creation, steamboats were at the mercy of the Ohio's water levels. When challenge with low water levels or treacherous conditions, cargo and crew would simply disembark and start over down river. Their large hulls and heavy loads required deeper pools of water to navigate freely. So in 1910, Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act, authorizing the construction of 51 locks and dams along the Ohio River to increase the overall depth of the Ohio and improve commercial traffic. Switzerland County had one such lock designated as Lock No. 39.

Then the diesel engines came ...

As commercial traffic increased so did advancements in propulsion. The diesel engine enabled commercials boats to carry a lot more cargo. As cargo increased, the length of commercials ships began to increase, which posed a problem for current lock systems. They simply couldn't contain within the locks the capacity of the ships being created. Enter the Ohio River Navigation Modernization Program which replaced "outdated" wicket dams and locks. Goodbye Lock No. 39.

The current iteration of the Markland Locks and Dam is a 1395 ft by 150 ft high stationary behemoth sitting at mile 531.5 of the Ohio River. It connects Gallatin County on the Kentucky side to Switzerland County on the Indiana side. Its primary purposes are to provide hydroelectric power, allow Ohio river traffic to pass and to allow vehicle traffic to travel from one state to the other.

Work began in 1956 by the Army Corps of Engineers. At its completion in 1967, it replaced 5 of the original wooden wicket dams that existed on the Ohio River.

A look inside new rotors being installed no the generator floor.
Copyright Duke Energy The Markland Locks and Dam has provided power to thousands of homes through its hydroelectric generators. It was the first non-governmental hydro station on the Ohio River. With recent generator upgrades now complete, and at a cost of $152 million, it now can provide enough power to 52,000 homes.

From 1967 to 1978, the primary purpose of the Lock and Dam was to provide power and allow river traffic to pass. Since August of 1978 it has provided access for cars and trucks to travel from Switzerland County, Indiana to Gallatin County, Kentucky as well.

Here's where it becomes a gem for Switzerland County. The Markland Dam Park sits on the Indiana side of Markland Dam, just on the western edge. It was acquired by Switzerland County through a lease with the US Corp of Engineers in 1990. Through many volunteer hours, the land was developed provide shelter houses with picnic tables and grills, ample parking, full bathroom facilities, playgrounds, a basketball court and baseball diamonds. There are probably rules when it comes to camping and fire pits, but clearly over the years their have been a number of both of those seen over the years. Please contact the Parks and Recreation department to find out more.

So, we don't have the mountains of Colorado or beaches of Florida or California, but we have a remarkable few acres nestled along the Ohio River. Take a break, take it in, you won't be disappointed.

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