The Peoria Lock and Dam is a historic lock and dam complex on the Illinois River at Creve Coeur, Illinois. The complex was built in 1938-39 as part of an effort to make the river navigable and establish a route for barges between Chicago and the Mississippi River.[2][3] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed the complex; their influence is particularly evident in the dam's control station, as the State of Illinois designed most other dam control stations along the river. The lock has a standard 100-by-600-foot (30 m × 183 m) chamber, similar to other locks on the river, and a vertical lift of 11 feet (3.4 m). The dam is 536 feet (163 m) long and includes 108 wicket gates and a Tainter gate; it is one of two Illinois dams that still use wicket gates.[4] The control station is for the most part a large, functional building, though it has Art Deco surrounds at the main entrance. The district also contains an original maneuver boat designed to raise and lower the dam's wicket gates; the boat is still used and is one of four boats of its kind left in the United States.[5]
Significant repairs were made during July through October 2020.[6][7][8] After securing a multi-million dollar federal funding appropriation in 2022, the Peoria Lock and Dam is expected to further update its infrastructure.[3][9]
