Lock Fest in Harrison gives a glimpse into Allegheny River Lock 4, water safety

With weather made for being out on the river, it couldn’t have been a better day for the annual Lock Fest in Harrison, a free water safety event.

The event gave the community a chance to get an inside look of the inner workings of Lock and Dam 4 in Natrona. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District hosted the event, giving 10-15 minute tours of the facility to groups of 20 people.

MiKayla Newman, the river ranger, said the event aims to educate the public on what the Army Corps does and how they help with river navigation. She said the first Lock Fest was held in 2017.

“Being in Pittsburgh, there are lots of boats and industry traffic, and this gives them the chance to get one-on-one time with the staff and learn how to do things safely,” she said.

Booths were setup around the sight to help educate people on the different topics, including dive inspections, water management, aquatic life and lock model setup. Bobber, the water safety dog, walked around waving at kids.

Army Corps of Engineer employee James Burford has been a lockmaster for nine years. He said many lives are lost due to unsafe water practices. He advises people to wear life vests and have radios on their boats.

“Many people are not aware of the dams and the dangers that come with them,” he said.

By noon, 150 people had shown up for the event. Burford said seeing that number of people visiting made him proud.

“This is a great event we do, and I look forward to doing more in my career,” he said.

During the tour, people got a brief history of the lock, which officially opened in 1927 after 7 years of construction. They were shown around the site to see the dam and how buoys are placed to alert boaters about it. Attendees were able to witness how the Lock’s Chamber works to help boaters navigate past the more than 20,000-pound gates.

Burford said a stoplight is by the entrance of the chamber to let boaters know when they are able to come in, when the gates will open soon and when the gates are closed.

“Most boaters are courteous of each other. Tow boats have priority of entering first because our funding comes from the tow boat industry,” he said.

The event attracted many community members who looked forward to learning more about the locks and how they worked or exploring a place they have always pass by but never entered.

Export resident Joseph Liebling was with his daughter, Jane, to check out the event. He said being an avid fisherman made him want to learn more about the waterways. They were waiting for the next tour of the lock to kickoff.

“We have been learning a lot and look forward to learning more,” he said.

Carolyn Petz was visiting from Rhode Island to see her sister. A Brackenridge native, she remembered passing by the lock all the time.

“It always fascinated me, and I wanted to see something cool like this,” she said.

Julie Petz of Brackenridge said she took a field trip to the lock when she was in elementary school. She wanted to check out the event for nostalgia.

“It’s nice to reminiscence,” she said.