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The park at Lock and Dam 27 is one of four planned for Lawrence County. Others are at Ironton, South Point and Burlington.

Keeton manages all 21 projects in 19 Appalachian Ohio counties. Most are along the Ohio River, but some are in the Scioto and Muskingum watersheds.

The projects are part of DeWineÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Appalachian Community Grant Program. It sets aside $152 million to expand access to local waterways, create tourism and recreational opportunities and revamp historic riverfront downtown areas.

Lock and Dam 27

The goal at Lock and Dam 27 is to add amenities to the park, not change its character, Keeton said. It can be a place for family reunions and picnics, she said.

One thing the park wonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t have is an RV park. That was one of the earliest ideas proposed as a way for the park to be self-sustaining financially, but a large number of people in Rome Township opposed it.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe RV park was an idea that was tossed around but never formally requested,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Keeton said.

Rome Township Trustee Bob Mayo said this week he was glad to hear the plan for the RV park is dead.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œEverybody was against that RV park,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Mayo said in a phone interview. A large number of Rome Township residents let local and state officials know they wanted to keep the park as a place geared toward local residents, he added.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe were afraid campers from out of town were going to take it over,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Mayo said.

The old lock and dam went into operation in 1923 and was decommissioned when the Greenup Locks and Dam went into full operation and raised its pool in 1961. The 1920s-era concrete at the riverÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s edge has deteriorated, and there are gaps where lock machinery had been in place. The lock was 600 feet long with guidewalls for steamboats at each end. The latest plan for the park has 580 feet of lockwall being covered with new concrete and raised so the top is about four feet above normal summer pool. There is no marina planned, but boats will be able to tie up to the new wall. All or part of the level concrete esplanade beside the river will be covered in new concrete.

The existing boat ramp at the lower end of the property will remain, but plans are uncertain for upper guidewall, a popular spot for fishing. From the looks of the plans, the guidewall will be removed, but Keeton was unsure of its fate.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was hoping they would keep that,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� said Rome Township Trustee Mark Bailey. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe may be able to talk to them about that (and) see if they will leave it.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� If nothing else, keeping the wall will save money, he said.

Up on the bank, two pickleball courts will be added near the basketball court. A 30-foot-by-34-foot shelter will be built near them. At the top of the bank at the center of the park at or near where the old damÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s powerhouse once stood will be a building with restrooms, a kitchen and storage space.

Funding sources require that the work be completed by October 2026, Keeton said. The Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not yet issued the necessary permits, and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office has yet to concur on the plans for the property, Keeton said. The project is also waiting for approval from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.

Elsewhere

Plans for South Point are more for a refreshing of the park across from the mouth of the Big Sandy River than for a large construction project, Keeton said. The concrete area by the river will be improved to allow for boats to dock, and access to the river will be ADA compliant, according to plans.

Plans for the small riverfront park at Burlngton are similar ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” more of a refresh, Keeton said. A dock will be added, and the public restrooms will be upgraded.

ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going to make it a more walkable and more inviting space,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� she said.

Ironton should see a large investment in its riverfront, with money from DeWineÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s project added to other funding sources, Keeton said. Plans include an outdoor dining area with seating for 600, beach volleyball courts and a play area.

Portsmouth, Ohio, has a large project planned ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” about $34 million for developments from the mouth of the Scioto River up to Shawnee State University in the downtown area, Keeton said.