Coal barge leaving McAlpine Locks

The dams spills you see are not hydro-electric. They are called Weirgates and they maintain the pool level for the operation of the locks. The river is in a high stage here. On the north edge of the dam, there is a park called Falls of the Ohio State Park. ( http://www.fallsoftheohio.org/ ) In normal water levels a great rock shelf is exposed. It is full of benthic fossils. Before the area was developed for visitors, it was a wild and slightly dangerous place for all sort of kinky kinetics. One could walk through the willow right up to the edge of the wier pool and feel the power of the water. It was a great spot to catch sauger (a species of Ohio River fish. After high water pools and and filled potholes remained on the fossil shelf and there was always some kind of fish trapped in them. The white, great blue and tri-cloored herrons would feast away. There were gulls there in winter.