MOBILE, Ala. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District announced today navigation lock changes on the Alabama River. Beginning the week of October 6, 2013 all navigation locks on the Alabama River will change to fall/winter schedules. R. F. Henry, Millers Ferry, and Claiborne Locks will change to Monday-Thursday operations, 6 a.m.- 4 p.m. Central Standard Time. This schedule will continue until March 2014.
All commercial vessels should schedule an appointment with the Lock Supervisor at Claiborne Lock 251-282-4575 for lockage at any of the three Alabama River locks. Locks will be made available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week for appointments by commercial traffic. Non-commercial traffic may be accommodated during the hours locks are manned, subject to availability of Lock Operators and in conjunction with maintenance activities and as those activities allow. All requests for special event lockages at any of the three locks should be made with the Lock Supervisor at Claiborne Lock 251-282-4575 at least 30 days prior to the planned event.
Recreational boaters should call the numbers below before their trip, as the locks will only be available when Lock Operators are present. If Operators are absent from a lock, boaters will not be able to lock through. Alabama River locks will be closed on all federal holidays.
Alabama River Locks can be reached at the following numbers:
Claiborne Lock near Monroeville, AL – 251-282-4575
Millers Ferry Lock near Camden, AL – 334-682-4877
R.F. Henry Lock near Selma, AL – 334-872-9525
Boaters may contact any of the three locks in the event a particular lock cannot be reached. In the event of an emergency, powerhouses can be contacted 24 hours per day at 334-682-9124. All Mobile District locks monitor marine channel 16.
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Release no. 13-036