Cardude, there are no locks at the Brazos....only floodgates. They are basically a one sided lock. But there is no lock "chamber". I guess it keeps the Brazos from flooding the prairies around the ICW.
There was one time similar to the rains we have experienced. About 12-15 years ago. I heard the tows talking back and forth and they said the river was running at 9mph!!! I was freaking out because I was in a 7mph boat!!! I wasn't sure how I was going to get across without being swept downstream. As it turns out, that was only right in the middle. So once I got out into the river, I stayed close to the side and crept up river. And waited for all of the flotsam to go by and picked my path through it....and scurried across to get into the eddy of the other side. I had to go full throttle thru the west gate....with an SOG of maybe a knot. I sat there for about 5 minutes talking to the gate operator as he stood on the wall....while I struggled thru all of the swirly current going thru the gate.