Posted on November 26, 2024
Maj. Gen. Jason Kelly, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, visited the USACE Nashville District Nov. 13-15 to meet with leadership and employees, see district projects firsthand, and understand the challenges in the Cumberland and Tennessee River basins.
Kelly assumed his current role after his predecessor, Maj. Gen. William “Butch” Graham Jr., became the 56th Chief of Engineers and USACE commanding general and was promoted to lieutenant general Sep. 13, 2024.
“My job is to see how I can help the district deliver the mission; I’m here to listen and learn,” said Kelly. “One of the first things we have to do is continue the evolution of [the USACE] civil works program. We have to continue to improve the safety and resiliency of communities around the nation.”
Among the stops on Kelly’s itinerary were Wilson, Chickamauga, and Kentucky locks on the Tennessee River, where USACE is either building a new lock or repairing an old one to get it back into service.
The USACE mission on the Tennessee River is focused on navigation, as the agency operates a series of navigation locks adjacent to Tennessee Valley Authority dams. The Tennessee Valley Authority owns the locks and dams along the Tennessee River and USACE operates and maintains the locks for navigation in partnership with TVA. The locks and dams help regulate and stabilize flows along some 200+ miles of inland waterway in the Tennessee Valley, reaching urban areas including Chattanooga, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama.
Without the locks and dams, residents of the valley would be subject to intense seasonal flooding and shipping delays resulting either from swollen or shallow patches along the path of the river, just as they were before the construction of the dams in the first few decades of the 1900s.
“The locks and dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers are essential for navigation, flood control, and the region’s economy,” said Lt. Col. Robert Green, commander of the USACE Nashville District. “While these systems have served us well for decades, their age presents significant challenges. We must ensure they stay reliable and resilient so future generations can continue to depend on the vital services they provide.”
The Tennessee and Cumberland River basins infrastructure’s age is catching up with it in a big way, especially at Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga, where “growing concrete” has led to the need for an entirely new lock. Kelly visited USACE crews onsite and received a briefing on construction progress.
“We need to ensure we are operating, maintaining and properly funding the life-cycle management of critical inland and coastal waterways infrastructure,” said Kelly. “The chief’s [Lt. Gen. Graham’s] key concern is ensuring we get the engineering right, staying technical because we are a technical organization.
“We need the American people to understand the investment needed to maintain this infrastructure that contributes to the economy, builds resiliency and reduces risks from disasters,” he added.
At Wilson Lock near Florence, Alabama, the main chamber has been closed since Sept. 25 due to cracking within the gates’ hinge mechanisms, which bear the weight of the 650-ton gates that support the highest single-lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains.
Due to the closure of the main chamber, shipping has been rerouted to the auxiliary chamber. This structure, side-by-side with the main chamber, is older, smaller, and has two lifts instead of one, leading to longer transit times.
Nashville District leaders including Green were able to emphasize the importance of Wilson Lock to the overall navigation system on the Tennessee River as Kelly walked the facility, staring firsthand into the 100-foot-deep lock chamber that hasn’t seen a transit in nearly two months. A heavy capacity fleet has arrived at the facility from the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division to expedite repairs.
In the Cumberland River Basin, the Nashville District operates 10 projects that accomplish several key USACE missions like flood risk reduction, hydropower, and recreation as well as navigation. Kelly visited Barkley Dam, near the confluence of the Cumberland and Ohio rivers, and Old Hickory Lock and Dam, just north of Nashville.
Barkley Dam’s 130-megawatt hydropower plant, with four 58,000-horsepower generators, supplies renewable energy to meet the daily demands of 112,000 homes. However, the plant’s equipment, dating back to the 1950s, has surpassed its intended life span. With a backlog of $35.2 million in maintenance needs, the ongoing rehabilitation of these units is essential for sustainable operations.
Barkley is home to an ongoing effort to control the spread of invasive carp, a species that can outcompete native species and pose dangers to boaters. The bioacoustic fish fence (BAFF) is an innovative system designed to deter the upstream movement of invasive carp species, particularly silver carp.
Installed in 2019, the BAFF employs a combination of sound, lights, and a bubble curtain to create a barrier that guides fish away from the lock entrance without impeding navigation. The deployment of the BAFF at Barkley Lock represents a collaborative effort among multiple agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, USACE, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
At Old Hickory Lock and Dam, Kelly paused to recognize several members of the Nashville District team with his newly minted two-star challenge coins before heading to the lock, the nearby Rockland Recreation Area, and several points on Old Hickory Lake via boat.
Devastated by a December 2023 tornado, Rockland Recreation Area is still closed to the public due to the extensive damage to facilities and foliage alike. The district estimates it will be reopening in time for the 2026 summer recreation season.
Kelly concluded his visit on an optimistic note, expressing excitement for his new role and trust in the team of USACE employees across the district.
“Today, I’m encouraged,” said Kelly after completing his tour of Wilson Lock. “Complexities surround us, tough tasks on their way. But I have great confidence in the team that we have to perform the work.”
With the deputy commanding general’s busy schedule, Green said he was honored that the Nashville District was one of Kelly’s first stops in his new position.
“It’s always great to have our senior leaders visit and see firsthand these critical projects but most importantly get to hear successes and challenges from our No. 1 resource – our people,” said Green. “Our team gained a lot of value from each engagement and we hope that Maj. Gen. Kelly leaves with a stronger understanding he can draw upon in his engagements at the headquarters level.”
Maj. Gen. Jason E. Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District senior leaders and Kentucky Lock Addition construction project officials stand on top of the upstream miter gates during a tour of the construction project in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, Nov. 15, 2025. Maj. Gen. Kelly’s visit is part of a district-wide tour aimed at understanding the operational challenges and capabilities of key Corps infrastructure projects.
