pound lock
Waterway level changer
A pound lock is a section of canal or river enclosed between two gates, allowing boats to move between different water levels.
Water is added or drained to raise or lower vessels.
This innovation, developed in medieval China and later adopted in Europe, made inland waterways navigable across varied terrain.
Most modern canal locks are pound locks.
- canalDug water passage
- inland waterwayNavigable route through land
- gateHinged barrier in fence
- water gateDam's flow controller
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
sluice · waterway · canal boat · barge · narrowboat · navigation · water level · rising water · basin · towpath · keeper · paddle · mitre · hydraulic · lift · flush · boat · vessel
- canalsGrand Canal, Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Erie Canal, canal boat
- river navigationriver traffic, river barge, river depth, river pilot, river currents
- canal lockslockmaster, lockage, headwater, tailwater, water level
- water managementwater supply, dam, water district, water authority, water allocation
- British CanalsBridgewater Canal, Basingstoke Canal, Regent's Canal