Keokuk is home to U.S. Lock and Dam #19. When completed in 1913, it was the largest electricity generating plant in the world. The locks are 1200 feet long and 110 feet wide, and large enough to handle a full-length fleet of barges. Major commodities moved include grain, aggregate, petroleum, coal and chemicals. The present lock was put into operation in 1957 at a cost of $13.5 million dollars. It is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Power House and spillways are owned and operated by AmerenUE, a privately owned utility company. The lock normally operates from early March thru early December, and is open 24/7 seven days a week. With a 38 feet (11.6 m) difference between the normal pool above and below the dam, the lock has the highest “step” in the stairway of the Rock Island District locks and dams.
The camera is mounted on what’s left of the original train/traffic bridge which spanned the Mississippi. With the completion of the new bridge, the Keokuk side of the old bridge was transformed into an Observation Deck. The deck provides a wonderful view of the Mississippi River, the Illinois riverfront, Lock & Dam #19, the George M. Verity Museum and Victory Park.
This camera is sponsored by the Keokuk Area Convention and Tourism Bureau, and hosted by the City of Keokuk. Keokuk is the Geode Capitol of the World, and it’s located in southeast Iowa along the Mississippi River. Boats, history, recreation, entertainment, great eats – as well as spectacular views of Bald Eagles — await you in Keokuk! Visit http://www.keokukiowatourism.org/ to start planning your trip today.