NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — June 2025 marks the 250 years of service for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps began its operations in June 1775 and its legacy in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky is intertwined with the Cumberland River.

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In the late 1800s, there was thriving commerce with boat traffic along the Cumberland River. At times, the water got too low for the boats to get through. The Corps built a series of small wicket dams to keep the water level high enough for the boats.

Each wicket dam had a lock to allow the boats to get around the dam. The wicket dams would keep at least six feet of water in the river, and usually around nine feet.

You can see the remnants of one of the locks at Lock Two P

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