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For the first time in two years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave folks free tours Saturday.

Just "locking" through! That's how 50 million tons of the goods and services you rely on, get from point A to point B. It all happens on the Tennessee River at the Guntersville Dam and Lock.

For the first time in two years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave folks free tours Saturday.

WAAY 31 Reporter Jillian Kay tagged along on one of those tours and got an inside look at one of North Alabama's most-used interstates.

The Guntersville Dam and Lock is full of history. It's been moving goods and people from one reservoir to another since 1935.

Ryan Johnson's the lockmaster. He's worked at the lock since he was a teenager.

Each year, Johnson sees more than 50 million tons of goods move up and down the Tennessee River.

"The lock's no different than an interstate made out of water," Johnson said. "It touches everybody, fuel, just a little bit of everything comes up and down this river."

He helps get essential items like feed for farmers, and other products like coal, chemicals, grains and minerals to their final destinations. However, moving such bulky items, takes time.

"The average is 30 to 45 minutes from start to fill, to emptying, to filling it back up," Johnson said.

Yet, Johnson knows water transportation is the only way to ship extremely large pieces of equipment. So, without him and his team, items like military vehicles and even rocket boosters wouldn't be mobile.

It's a job Johnson enjoys, and for the first time in two years, he's now sharing it with others. He led four full, and free, tours Saturday.

Folks like Jeff Moore, who's new to Marshall County, found the inner workings of the lock and dam, fascinating!

"There is so much commerce that comes through here, I mean, I'm surprised," Moore said.

He and his wife also learned a bit about the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Guntersville Dam. It's a hydroelectric facility that helps power parts of North Alabama.

The dam is 94 feet high and stretches 3,979 feet across the Tennessee River. The massive structure helps control floods, lead navigation, and boost economic development.

For more information on upcoming lock tours and in-depth statistics you can visit TVA's Facebook page or website.