13 Mar 2026

John H. Overton Lock and Dam, Red River: Lower Navigation Approach Physical Model

Abstract: The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (ERDC-CHL) conducted a physical model study of the John H. Overton Lock and Dam to optimize the navigation conditions in the lower lock approach. ERDC built a 1:100 Froude scale model to evaluate the navigation conditions for tows entering and exiting the lower lock approach. The final design consisted of two submerged rock dikes implemented approximately 1,500 and 3,000 ft downstream of the dam’s crest. The larger submerged rock dike was parallel to the channel, located in a scoured area at the downstream end of the riprap channel bed, and contained a crest elevation of approximately 15 ft, North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). The smaller submerged rock dike extended from the most upstream end of the first rock dike, diagonally crossing the channel to the right-descending bank, and contained a crest elevation of approximately 30 ft, NAVD 88. The model provided data regarding tow tracks, current direction, and velocity information for various possible optimizations to the dam’s lower lock approach.