Soo Locks

Virtual brochure and information for the Soo Locks, one of many online travel brochures for tourist information in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Provided by your source for Mackinaw Information and Mackinac Information.

 

Virtual PDF brochure of the Soo Locks

US Army Corps of Engineers - Detroit District

Vessels wishing to use the locks can reach the Chief Lockmaster on VHS-FM channel 14 (preferred) or channel 16.

US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District: www.Ire.usace.army.mil
US Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center: www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/ndc

1-888-694-8313 Detroit District
1-800-990-0231 Soo Area Office

The Soo Locks
Watch in amazement as large freighters, almost close enough to touch, move through one of the busiest lock systems in the world. Located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on the St. Mary’s River, the United States locks are just across the water from the Canadian lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

The Soo Locks consist of two canals and four locks: Davis Lock, Poe Lock, MacArthur Lock, and the Sabin Lock (closed), that allow vessels of many types and sizes to safely traverse the 21-foot drop in elevation of the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lakes Michigan and Huron.

History
Why the locks were needed -
The St. Marys River, the only water connection between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes, known as the St. Marys Rapids, falls about 21-feet from the level of Lake Superior to the level of the lower lakes. This natural barrier to vessel navigation made necessary the construction of the locks project known as the St. Marys Falls Ship Canal.

Long ago the Ojibway (Chippewa) Indians, who lived in the area, would carry their canoes around the rapids to reach Lake Superior from the St. Marys River.

As European pioneers arrived creating larger settlements with increased trading the need for larger boats grew. It became necessary to unload the boats, haul the cargo around the rapids in wagons, and then reload alternate boats on the other side. This process took valuable time. The need to build a lock became apparent thus the world-famous Soo Lokcs were built to form a passage around the rapids in the river.

When the locks were built -
In the late 1700s a Canadian company built a lock on the Canadian side of the river. It was destroyed in the War of 1812. A private American company built locks on the U.S. side of the river in 1853. These locks were turned over to the State of Michigan in 1855 and then designated the State Locks. Although the state charged a lockage toll, commerce grew and the locks became important on a national level.

When the Corps took over -
In 1881 the locks were transferred to the U.S. government giving jurisdiction to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Currently, the Corps operates the locks toll free to any vessel wishing to pass through the St. Marys Falls Canal.

Future of the Locks
In the early days lock gates were opened manually. Now the gates are opened with the push of a button. The Corps is currently planning to automate the hydropower plant bringing that facility up to 21st Century technology also.

The Corps has plans to replace the Davis and Sabin Locks with a larger state-of-the-art lock, similar to the Poe Lock, to assist in handling the larger vessels of the Great Lakes fleet.

The new locks will be the first lock built at the Soo since 1968. The Corps is looking forward to building this project and bringing this technologically advance facility to the people of the United States.

Visitor’s Center
The award winning Soo Locks, one of the finest tourist attractions in the United States, can be seen up close at the observation platforms located just outside of the world class Soo Locks Visitors Center.

The Corps is proud of its facilities and welcomes visitors from all over the world to this American treasure. The grounds surrounding the locks contain many buildings and structures such as the spectacular fountain located in the park adjacent to the lock complex. The park, open to the public most of the year, is host to many activities, including weddings, and arts and craft festivals held throughout the year.

Every year the general public has access to the locks, on Engineers Day, always the last Friday in June. On this day visitors can venture past the MacArthur Lock into the Administration Building and further into the lock area between the MacArthur and Poe Locks to watch the vessels up close.

The beautifully remodeled visitors center is open from May to November. The Center provides a welcome to visitors, an overview and history of the Locks, and the Army Corps of Engineers’ role in the development of the Great Lakes region. Included in the many interesting gexhibits is a working model of the locks. A small theater features videos on locks history, the Great Lakes, and Great Lakes water levels. Several television monitors within the center display the ships transiting the locks while the knowledgeable staff at the center provide audio information on the vessels as they approach the locks. Information about the size of a vessel, its national origin, tonnage, cargo, destination, and arrival time are provided throughout the day. The Center also contains many artifacts, charts, maps and photographs.

You many also see ships locking through the system on the internet at: www.crrel.usace.army.mil/ierd/webcams/soo/

Lock Facts

• As proud stewards of the locks the Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District operates and maintains the entire facility, at the St. Marys Falls Canal, with the Area Engineer at the Soo Area Office handling immediate supervision of the facilities.
• More than 11,000 vessels, carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo pass through these locks every year. Many different small passenger vessels and workboats to large 1,000 foot ships carrying more than 72,000 tons of freight in a single load. Most cargo contained in these ships is either iron ore, coal, grain, or stone.
• The channels through the St. Marys River are maintained at a maximum draft of 25.5 feet at low water datum. When lake levels are above low water averages larger ships take advantage of the deeper water and load up to an additional 200 tons of cargo per inch of additional draft.
• The Poe Lock, the largest of the four locks, was rebuilt in 1968 to accommodate 1000 foot vessels. It took six years to build and is the only lock ever rebuilt over an existing lock between two operating locks.
• The Hydropower plant, just north of the locks, generates more than 150 million kilowatt hours of electrical power each year to operate the locks. Whatever power is not used at the locks is distributed to homes and businesses in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and surrounding communities.
• The lock system is periodically inspected for structural soundness usually during the winter when lock operations close.

Ships pass the Administration building located between the MacArthur and Poe Locks.

The Locks
Poe Lock -
Named for Colonel Orland M. Poe, Engineer Officer during the Civil War, and twice assigned as Detroit District Engineer (1870-1873 and 1883-1895)

Constructed 1968
Length 1200 feet
Width 110 feet
Depth 32.0 feet

MacArthur Lock -
Named for General Douglas MacArthur, serving in both World War I and II, most noted as Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific Theater in World War II, of the Postwar Japanese occupation, and finally of the United Nations forces in Korea. Served as Superintendent at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and also a Corps of Engineers Officer.

Constructed 1943
Length 800 feet
Width 80 feet
Depth 31.0 feet

Davis Lock -
Named for Colonel Charles E.L.B. Davis, Detroit District Engineer from 1904 to 1908.

Constructed 1914
Length 1350 feet
Width 80 feet
Depth 23.1 feet

Sabin Lock (closed) -
Named for L.C. Sabin, the only civilian to serve as a Detroit District Engineer (1918-1919).

Constructed 1919
Length 1350 feet
Width 1350 feet
Depth 23.1 feet

The 63 mile long St. Marys River drops 21 feet from Lake Superior to Lakes Huron and Michigan. Most of this drop occurs at the St. Marys Rapids (also referred to as St. Marys Falls).

How navigation locks operate
These diagrams show how a ship is lowered in a lock. A ship is raised by reversing the operation. No pumps are required; the water is merely allowed to seek its own level.

With both upper gates and lower gates closed, and with the emptying valve closed and the filling valve open, the lock chamber has been filled to the upper level. The upper gates are then opened, allowing the ship to enter the lock chamber.

Now the ship is in the lock chamber. The upper and lower gates and the filling valve are closed. The emptying valve has been opened to allow water to flow from the lock chamber to the lower level.

With the water level in the lock chamber down to the lower level, the lower gates have been opened, and the ship is leaving the lock chamber. After this, the lock is ready for an upbound ship to come in and be lifted, or may be filled to lower another downbound ship.

Freight Capacity Comparison
One 1000 foot Laker (approximately 60,000 tons) is equal to:
- Six 100 car trains with a 10,000 ton capacity each -or-
- 2308 large trucks of 26 ton capacity each

It is estimated that the Soo Locks water route reduces transportation costs by an average of more than $4.90 per ton. Based on 1997 tonnages, this represents an annual transportation costs savings to the nation of approximately $450 million.

Buildings and Structures of Interest

• Locks - MacArthur, Poe, Davis and Sabin
• Administration Building - historical building and the hub of Soo Area Office operations.
• Lockmasters Tower - located top of Administration Building, lock master directs vessel traffic from this perch.
• Compensating Works - gates that increase or decrease the flow of water through the river.
• Hydropower Plant - uses energy from waters flow to produce electricity.
• Observation Platforms - three free standing platforms where visitors can view locking operations.
• Visitors Center - tourist information, lock operations model, and videos.
• Boat Basin - where most Corps vessels are docked.
• Various warehouses and storage facilities - used to store maintenance and operations equipment.
• International Bridge and Railroad Bridge - passage to Canada.