The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) contains 440 miles of waterway and is a crucial part of the US transportation system. The first section, running to Little Rock, Arkansas, opened on January 1, 1969. u.s. army corps of engineers mcclellan-kerr arkansas river navigation system southwest division ', Jack Bradley Bend Light (75.6) JEFFERSON COUNTY ' 76 ', It provides cranes, warehouse storage, oil storage, railroad convenience, a scrap-handling magnet, scales, and grain storage. So much water poured into the Keystone Reservoir in a short time, that it quickly became evident that a major release of water would be needed to prevent overtopping the dam, causing devastating floods downstream. The following tables list the features of the navigation system, from the Mississippi River to the origin at the Port of Catoosa. Seven upstream reservoirs reinforce the locks and dams. The Arkansas Department of Transportation had previously been designated as an official sponsor. Congress did not allocate funding for the multifaceted project (navigation, flood control, recreation, and hydroelectric power) until 1956, initiating construction on the Eufaula and Keystone dams in the Sooner State. The port connects to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico via the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. In 1946, the Riv ers an d H arbo rs Ac t auth orize d the build ing o f the m ulti-purp ose system. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) is made up of 18 locks and dams, three different rivers and one manmade canal. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Vital Statistics Port of Muskogee to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa . The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (completed in 1971) for navigation and flood control is among the largest civil works projects ever undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Copyright to all articles and other content in the online and print versions of The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History is held by the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS). The Arkansas River recently reopened for navigation to the Port of Catoosa, which is located near Tulsa, OK, and is the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). "Oklahoma Waterway Takes Prestigious Step Up in National Status (PRESS RELEASE)". The Secretary of the Army has directed the Corps of Engineers to establish the following priorities for admitting vessels to each lock: There is no minimum size for watercraft using the locks. ... McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System … The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) officially announced in early May 2015 that it had upgraded MKARNS from "Connector" to "Corridor" on the National Marine Highway. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Physically, the MKARNS is 445 river miles long and has eighteen locks and dams, creating a staircase from the Mississippi River up to Catoosa. The high-use designation means that a waterway carries more than 10 million tons per year, having a value of more than 12 million ton-miles per year.[3]. The river has been a source of life and transportation for the region for as long as humans have inhabited the area. The Arkansas River, the longest tributary of the Mississippi-Missoury River system, is both a centerpiece and a starting point for any historical perspective of the River Valley region. The Arkansas River is very shallow through Arkansas and Oklahoma, and was naturally incapable of supporting river traffic through most of the year. Ann Hodges Morgan, Robert S. Kerr: The Senate Years (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977). The first barge to reach the Port of Catoosa arrived in early 1971. Beneficiaries include: navigation, recrea tion, Engineer District, working together, issued changes on April 1 to crew change procedures at locks and dams along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation… Read More. The nation has invested billions in building it. It was how Army Maj. William Bradford and his men got to the area in 1817 … The system includes the Arkansas, White and Verdigris Rivers, and the authorized purposes include navigation, environmental Navigation Charts: McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, Catoosa, Oklahoma to Mouth of White River The facility provides two large cranes, a conveyor system, ample warehouse space, a grain elevator, pipelines, railroad facilities, and access to U.S. Interstate 44. To allow for navigation, construction was started in 1963 on a system of channels and locks to connect the many reservoirs along the length of the Arkansas River. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System is a system of navigable pools on the Arkansas River formed from seventeen locks, dams, and reservoirs extending from the Port of Catoosa near Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Montgomery Point near Dumas on the Mississippi River. Each lock measures 110 feet (34 m) wide and 600 feet (180 m) long, the standard size for much of the Mississippi River waterway. They study how the Army Corps of Engineers built and monitor the system. Dedicated on June 5, 1971, by Pres. Twelve of these are located in Arkansas and five in Oklahoma. In 1994 the system transported 10.6 million tons. The MKARNS is a multi-beneficiary system providing nav- Oklahoma’s 2011 waterborne commerce totaled over 4.9 million tons worth over $1.8 billion. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), Oklahoma project is located within the Arkansas River Basin in northeastern Oklahoma (see general plan drawing). 5 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System near Redfield, Arkansas, authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act approved July 24, 1946, as the “Colonel Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam”. [2] Along the section of the Arkansas River that carries the McClellan–Kerr channel, the river sustains commercial barge traffic and offers passenger and recreational use. Dedicated on June 5, 1971, by Pres. The largest towboat ever built in the United States, the Motor Vessel Mississippi, is a sight to see. Arkansas River - Newt Graham Pool. Central Arkansas Library System Roberts Library Six Bridges Book Festival Ron Robinson Theater Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Here, the system is a series of reservoirs. Standard jumbo barges, measuring 35 by 195 feet (59 m), are grouped 3 wide by 3 long, with a tug at center rear, to form a barge tow which can be fit into a lock. Extremely heavy rains hit the Arkansas River upstream of Keystone Dam during late May and early June 2019. Near Inola, Oklahoma. 781 (110 th): To redesignate Lock and Dam No. Other influential proponents were Newton Graham, a Tulsa civic leader, and Don McBride, an engineer and head of the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board. Even so, water rushed downstream toward MKARNS at such a high rate that officials at the Corps of Engineers halted barge traffic to avoid calamities such as collisions or hitting trees and debris afloat in the river. Near Sallisaw, Oklahoma. While the system primarily follows the Arkansas River, it also includes portions of the Verdigris River in Oklahoma, the White River in Arkansas, and the Arkansas Post Canal, a short canal named for the nearby Arkansas Post National Memorial which connects the Arkansas and White Rivers. Copyright to all of these materials is protected under United States and International law. Navigation Charts: McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, Catoosa, Oklahoma to Mouth of White River [United States Army Corps of Engineers] on Amazon.com. McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System HISTORICAL INFORMATION The McC lellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navi gation S yst e m (“M KAR NS”) is the official name of the waterway. The system basically consists of a series of pools that are connected and regulated through locks and… The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) is part of the inland waterway system originating at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and running southeast through Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Mississippi River. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) was the largest civil works project ever undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the time of its opening. Bridge clearance: 300 ft (91 m) horizontal; 52 ft (16 m) vertical. It honors many things. May 15, 2015. That’s $1.8 billion just in the shipping of goods. : University Press, 1972). [9], Big Dam Bridge is a footbridge built atop the Murray Lock and Dam in. Width of channel: mostly 250 ft (76 m) to 300 ft (91 m). McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Vital Statistics Port of Muskogee to the Port of Catoosa Jobs: 8,000 Annual Payroll: $350 million Total Annual Barge Tonnage: 5.5 million tons (4,000 barges annually) Enough cargo for 240,000 trucks, long enough to stretch 2,640 miles The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System was built by and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Arkansas River Navigation Recovering. See also: HIGHWAYS, LAKES AND RESERVOIRS, PORT OF MUSKOGEE, RIVERS AND STREAMS, TRANSPORTATION, TULSA PORT OF CATOOSA. No part of this site may be construed as in the public domain. This page was last edited on 14 January 2021, at 15:08. The MKARNS connects strategically the heartland of the US with the rest of the world. The article quoted Lt. Col. Gene Snyman, then deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Tulsa District, as saying such a project would cost about $170 million (2010 dollars).[5]. OSTI.GOV Technical Report: Recent developments in the Mcclellan-Kerr Arkansas River navigation system area. On entering the Mississippi River Valley region near Batesville, Arkansas, the river becomes navigable to shallow-draft vessels, and its speed decreases considerably. Except as noted, all locks are on the Arkansas River. Arkansas River - Robert S. Kerr Pool. Since the demise of steamboat traffic in the late-nineteenth century various groups have tried to revitalize navigation on the Arkansas River. • Federal cost of the System was $1.2 billion (1971). The river has been a source of life and transportation for the region for as long as humans have inhabited the area. The total length of the system is 445 miles (716 km). Add to that $186.1 million for construction of Montgomery Point Lock & Dam (completed in 2004), for a total cost of $1.39 billion System‐Wide Tonnage 2017 tonnage on the entire McClellan‐Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System totaled 11.9 The design enables traffic to overcome an elevation difference of 420 feet (130 m) between the Mississippi River and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. [7], The 2019 flood deposited about 1.5 million cubic yards of sediment into the waterway, As of February 2020, barge traffic remained limited by tow size and restricted to daylight hours-only due to sediment, The corps expects to complete the dredging of sediment by late May 2020.[8]. Arkansas River Bridge (Muskogee County, Oklahoma) Built 1969, Rehabilitated 2010 Deck plate girder bridge over Arkansas River on U.S. 62 in Muskogee Open to traffic • Arkansas River Navigation Study, Arkansas and Oklahoma: $559,000 to complete an economic update, including an update of costs and benefits, and to initiate and complete the PED phase that will deepen the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System from 9 feet to 12 feet. President Nixon signed a bill naming the new waterway the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) in honor of the senators who so staunchly supported it. Oklahoma’s 2011 waterborne commerce totaled over 4.9 million tons worth over $1.8 billion. June 19, 2020. The McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System diverts from the Arkansas River 2.5 mi (4.0 km) upstream of the Wilbur D. Mills Dam to avoid the long winding route which the lower Arkansas River follows. However, the flood carried so much silt down river, that re-dredging would be required to return to normal traffic patterns. The system was named for two Senators: Robert S. Kerr (D-OK) and John L. McClellan (D-AR), who pushed authorizing legislation through Congress. (Arkansas Gazette, June 3, 1962, p. E3) The waterway was a boon-a gift, favor, or blessing-to Arkansas because of its potential to improve the economy of the … Larger barge tows must be broken down and passed through the lock in sections, and rejoined on the opposite side.[4]. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System is critically important. To allow for navigation, construction was started in 1963 on a system of channels and locks to connect the many reservoirs along the length of the Arkansas River. 5 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System near Redfield, Arkansas, authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act approved July 24, 1946, as the “Colonel Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam”. Open year-round, with no delays due to frozen water, your raw material or products can reach any destination… globally. On the evening of April 24, 1993, the town was struck by an F4 tornado. Go Back. The first barge to reach the Port of Catoosa arrived in early 1971. Richard M. Nixon at the Port of Catoosa, the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) had its beginning when Congress passed the 1946 Rivers and Harbors Act. The reservoir created by Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam is named. Both of these ports are designated Foreign Trade Zones. The first section, running to Little Rock, Arkansas, opened on January 1, 1969. The Arkansas River, known as the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, is one of the most energy efficient and cost competitive modes of transportation. Normally, tows comprise twelve to sixteen barges. Since that time, interest has grown, driven primarily by rising electrical energy costs, and four additional hydroelectric plants were constructed at existing locks and dams on the Arkansas River. In 1959 the Oklahoma Legislature passed a law authorizing port authorities that have broad powers to develop, operate, and expand ports. The McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System is part of the inland waterway system originating at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and running southeast through Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Mississippi River.The system was named for two Senators: Robert S. Kerr and John L. McClellan, who pushed authorizing legislation through Congress; the system opened June 5, 1971. Learners discover how a lock and a dam work, and study three benefits of having a dam built on a river: navigation, flood control, and recreation. The 445mile long McClellan- -Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) consists of 18 locks and dams, and provides 9foot depth inland navigation from the - Mississippi River to Catoosa, Oklahoma. It provides transport of goods to and from Oklahoma worth $1.8 billion dollars in local commerce. From 1971 to 1990 an average of 7.6 million tons of commerce was carried on the MKARNS. This increase in depth would result in a The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District manages the Oklahoma portion – five locks and dams and 137 miles of channel. U.S. Department of Transportation. Today the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System system is 443 miles long, with 18 locks and dams, that allows cargo to … The specifications for the channel itself are as follows: Although Congress originally authorized USACE to dredge the channel to a depth of 12 ft (3.7 m) in 2005, it did not provide the funds to do so. : U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1995). The five Oklahoma locks and dams are the Newt Graham, Chouteau, Webbers Falls, Robert S. Kerr, and W. D. Mayo. Five Rivers Distribution • 2020 Riverfront Road • Van Buren, AR 72956 • Phone: 479-410-1557 • Fax: 479-410-1587 • email: marty@fiveriversdist.com If commercial traffic is heavy, pleasure craft may be required to wait approximately 1.5 hours or may be allowed to lock through with commercial vessels. The system of locks and dams helped make the river more stable and also eased flooding. Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program. System … • Federal cost of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System are Keystone, Oologah,,., 1960 ) an average of 7.6 million tons of cargo the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System with it,. Highways, LAKES and reservoirs, Port of Muskogee to the nation ’ s 2011 commerce! 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