The inland waterway system is comprised of a set of rivers and associated locks and dams. Dams establish "pools" of water that allow rivers to be navigated, and locks allow barges to pass from pools of different elevations. Lock performance i.e., the timely passage of barges through the waterway depends on a myriad of factors. This paper examines lock performance in terms of the structural design of locks, the characteristics of the flotilla (vessels and barges), a set of state conditions (weather, river levels, etc.), and characteristics of vessels, lock and firm. Vessel, firm and lock efficiency measures are developed, and observed factors that influence efficiency are evaluated. The results point to considerable heterogeneity across vessels, firms, and locks that result in significant differences in timely passage through the locks.
Abstract