Muskingum River

The Muskingum River is a tributary of the Ohio River at Marietta, Ohio. It is formed by the junction of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas Rivers at Coshocton, Ohio and flows generally south to Marietta. In the canal era, a two mile branch of the Ohio and Erie Canal at Webbsport connected to the river at Dresden. From there, the state made the river navigable downstream to the Ohio with a series of 11 locks and low head dams opened in 1841. Some of these locks are on short skirting canals. The navigation was taken over by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1886, but was returned to the state in 1958. The State of Ohio works to preserve the navigation and operates it as the Muskingum River Parkway. All locks are 150 feet x 35 feet. Locks have miter gates at both ends and are hand operated by park personnel.

Status of Locks is as follows:

Lock

Location

Distance from
Ohio River

Side of River (downbound)

Status
 Lock & Dam 1 Marietta 0 miles Right Bank Back flooded by Belleville Locks & Dam on the Ohio River and removed.
 Lock and Dam 2 Devola 5.8 miles Left Bank  Rebuilt in 2004 - 2005, operational
 Lock and Dam 3  Lowell 14.2 miles Left Bank  Operational
 Lock and Dam 4 Beverly 25.1 miles Left Bank  Poor condition, rebuild under design, operational
 Lock and Dam 5 Luke Chute 34.1 miles Right Bank  Rebuilt in 1996 - 07, operational

 Lock and Dam 6

 Stockport 40.2 miles Right Bank  Operational

 Lock and Dam 7

 McConnelsville 49.4 miles Left Bank  Rebuilt in 1998 - 99, operational

 Lock and Dam 8

 Rokeby 57.4 miles Left Bank  Operational

 Lock and Dam 9

 Philo 68.3 miles Right Bank  Operational

 Lock and Dam 10

 Zanesville 76.6 miles Left Bank  Rebuilt in 1997 - 98, operational

 Lock and Dam 11

Ellis

 85.9 miles Right Bank  Unsafe, currently out of operation

 

Muskingum River Parkway

Operation Bulletin

1-15-2008                                                                                           MR-OP-1-2008

SPRING OPERATING HOURS

May 10, 2008 - May 18, 2008
Saturdays and Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch

 Memorial Day Weekend Hours

Friday, May 23, through Monday May 26, 2008, the locks will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., closing from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

Free Boating Weekend

 Muskingum River Parkway invites you to boat and experience the Muskingum River and locks at no cost Friday, June 13 through Monday June 16, 2008 during normal operating hours.

SUMMER OPERATING HOURS

May 30, 2008 – September 19, 2008
Fridays and Mondays 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. closed from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. closed from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

 FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND HOURS

Friday July 4, through Monday July 7 2008, the locks will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., closing from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

Labor Day Weekend Hours

Friday, August 29, through Monday, September 1, 2008, the locks will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., closing from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

Fall Operating  Hours

September 19, 2008 – October 12, 2008
 Saturdays and Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Closed from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch

 Special Notice Lock  #11

Lock #11-Ellis, will remain closed during the entire 2008 boating season
 

 

 Fees

  Muskingum River Parkway Lock Fee

 Ohio Revised Code:  1501:41-2-30

A fee shall be charged to those persons passing through the division operated locks on the Muskingum River with a watercraft.  The fee shall be as follows:

$15.00            For an annual pass for each watercraft sixteen (16) feet or less in length and for each watercraft without a motor.

 $35.00            For an annual pass for each motorized watercraft longer than sixteen (16) feet but less than twenty-six (26) feet in
                            length.

 $50.00            For an annual pass for each motorized watercraft twenty-six (26) feet in length or longer.

 $20.00            For a weekend pass for each motorized watercraft of any size.  This pass is good for one weekend during normal
                             scheduled hours of lock operation.  For the purposes of this rule a weekend is Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and
                             Monday.

 $5.00              Per one way lockage of a lock by a watercraft during normal hours of operation.**

 $15.00            Per one way lockage of a lock outside the normal hours of operation if all boaters locking through the lock have
                             current annual passes for their watercraft.

 $25.00            Per one way lockage of a lock outside the normal hours of operation if one or more of the boaters locking through
                              the locks do not have a current annual pass for their watercraft.

 For the purposes of this rule an annual pass shall be valid for the calendar year, January 1  through December 31, and entitles the pass holder to unlimited lockage with one watercraft during the normal, scheduled hours of lock operation.  The passes specified in this rule are per watercraft.  Additional watercraft require additional passes.  The passes cannot be transferred to another person.  If a person is towing an unmanned, smaller boat through the lock, the boater does not need to pay a lock fee for the boat in tow as long as it does not need to be locked through separately.

**INTERPRETATION: If the boater locking through does not have a current annual pass for their watercraft.

Charts

Charts of the navigation are free at the park offices. By mail, they may be ordered with a $ 5.00 shipping fee payable to Division of Parks and Recreation from Dillon State Park, 5265 Dillon Hills Drive, Nashport, OH 43830

This information is provided courtesy of the Muskingum River Parkway and from ACS index sheets to encourage navigation of the Muskingum River.

Revised 1/12/08