Thalweg

The channel of the Ohio River is at one of it's deepest points along the Fort Thomas side of the Ohio River bank. That deep part of the channel is called a thalweg, and it's valuable as a water source because even in times of low water - a concern before modern locks and dams - there would be a water supply at the thalweg.

There was a Covington reservoir on the south side immediately next to the Ohio intake. See the green arrows on our map. The purple arrows were once the Newport Waterworks intake and reservoir. Covington and Newport are now under the control of the Northern Kentucky Water District.

The red arrows were and are a part of the Cincinnati Waterworks. The intake is on the Kentucky side, and the pumping station and reservoirs are on the Ohio side. The City of Cincinnati owns the real estate on which the Kentucky portion sits.

The pumping station on the Ohio side is home to world's largest water pumping steam engine, and is a historic marvel in its own right. We highly recommend the tour.