"The Chickamauga Lock and Dam are situated on the Tennessee River about five miles north of Chattanooga. Even though the Dam and Lock are both made out of concrete and aggregate, they were constructed differently and serve very different functions. Only the Lock is suffering from concrete growth - a phenomenon where the cement has reacted with the aggregate causing the cement to literally grow. Because the Lock has a number of moving parts, concrete growth will eventually prevent the gates from opening correctly. The Lock could be useless by 2010."

"One of my biggest priorities is to see that Congress authorizes a replacement for the Chickamauga Lock this year. I will keep working with the Army Corps of Engineers, TVA and other "stakeholders" like shippers and recreational boaters to make sure the Lock stays open and the river remains navigable."