A History of the Rock Island District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1866-1983
 A history of the canal begins on page 85.

Annual Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor for the Year 1906
A brief history and description is on page 1415.

Annual Report, Part 3, United States Army. Office of the Chief of Engineers - 1890
A report on the drydock at the canal.

Annual Reports of the War Department – 1889
A report on updates to the canal begins on page 233.

Chronicling America
A set of historical newspaper articles which make reference to the canal.

Des Moines Rapids
A description and history of the rapids, with reference made to the first canal, constructed in 1877.
 

Des Moines Rapids Canal
A brief history of the original and current canal and locks. Current photo.
 

Des Moines Rapids Canal
A brief description and history of the canal.

Des Moines Rapids (River Improvements) - 1

Historical photo of the drydock.

Des Moines Rapids (River Improvements) – 2

Historical photo of the lower lock.

Des Moines and Rock River Rapids
Link to an 1854 letter from the Secretary of War, regarding the rapids.
 

Des Moines Rapids proved to be major obstruction to traffic on river
A brief history of the rapids and construction of the dam and bypass canal.

Detailed drawings of Des Moines Rapids, locks and canal - 1872

Digital Public Library of America
Links to historical photos.

Entrance to Guard Lock, Des Moines Rapids Canal
An 1889 photo of the canal guard lock.
 

Government Canal Postcards
Historic postcards of the canal.

History of Transportation on the Upper Mississippi & Illinois Rivers – 1983
A history of the canal begins on page 49.

Iowa, a Guide to the Hawkeye State
A brief history and description of the canal is on page 277.

Journey Interrupted: A Brief History of the Des Moines Rapids

Keokuk and the Great Dam
Historical photos of the canal are on page 21.

Lock and Dam No. 19
A brief history of the canal, lock, dam and powerhouse. Current photos.
 

Lower Lock Des Moines Rapids Canal

A historical photo of the canal.

National Gallery of Art

A historical photo of the canal.

New York Public Library Digital Collection
Historical photos of the canal and locks under construction.

Principles of Public and Private Infrastructure Delivery
A brief history of development of the rapids is on page 168.

Proceedings of the Western Society of Engineers, Volume 6 – 1881
A paper on the operation of the hydraulic machinery used to operate the lock gates is on page 11.

Report of Lyman E. Cooley, Late Engineer of the Chicago Drainage Canal: On the Development of the Water Power of the Des Moines Rapids of the Mississippi River, Near Keokuk, Iowa, and Hamilton, Illinois – 1891

Report of the Chief of Engineers U.S. Army, Part 4 – 1891
A report on the operation and care of the canal is on page 2183.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa – 1893

A view of the canal is in Image 1.

Steamboats on the Western Rivers: an Economic and Technological History
A brief history of the canal is on page 189.

Taming the Des Moines Rapids

A detailed history of the canal and lock.   Historical photos.

The Des Moines Rapids Canal

A detailed history of the canal.

The Des Moines Rapids of the Mississippi River, and Its Improvements
An 1870 history of  the rapids and the navigation improvements.

"The Importance of the Mississippi River to the State of Iowa and the North-West - 1871"

An essay on the impact improved navigation, including at the rapids would have on the economy of the region.

The Lower Lock of the Des Moines Rapids Canal at the Keokuk Riverfront

A brief history of the dam and lock.

The Old Des Moines Rapids Canal
An interesting history of the construction and operation of the canal and locks, published in 1924.
 

U.S. government canal completed in Keokuk in 1877

A brief history of the lock and canal.

View Of Bullnose, Des Moines Rapids Canal
Photo of the locks.
 

Water Resources and Environmental History
A brief history of the canal is on page 99.