Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway

• More about the waterway. The idea of the waterway was introduced to Congress in the early 1800's and construction started in December 1972. I wonder how long these plans sat on someone's desk. It's 234 miles long and is 280 to 300 feet wide. There are 10 locks along the way, the largest lift is 84 feet. The average lock takes 46 million gallons of water to fill it and takes 12-15 minutes to empty and 14-16 minutes to fill. The locks are 600 feet long and 110 feet wide. Our boat looks like a toy in them. It took 12 years to complete; December 1984.
• It saves uses over 800 miles between the Tennessee River and the Gulf of Mexico. The companies that use it annually save $130,000,000. The average 8 barge tow can move as much freight as 120 rail cars or 480 tractor trailer trucks. A barge can move a ton of freight twice as far as a train and 6 times as far as a tractor trailer on the same amount of fuel.
• The best part is how mother nature decorated the bluffs and shore. Our heads are like being at a tennis match going back and forth.