The countdown for opening day is on! We are excited to open another successful season on the Fox Locks and have a few updates for you before you plan your locks cruise!
Kaukauna locks update: The five locks through Kaukauna are scheduled to open in July. We don’t have a firm date at this time because the City of Kaukauna is finishing repairs to the Veterans Memorial lift bridge and needs to go through a period of testing before opening boat traffic. When open, you’ll be able to cruise a section of the river that has a vertical drop of 50.4 feet in only one mile! Please stay tuned to this website and our Facebook page for an announcement on the opening date.
Menasha lock: Many of you have asked about the status of this lock and it will remain closed in 2021. An electric barrier has been proposed for this lock to prevent the fish from entering the Lake Winnebago watershed and research is currently underway to assess the effects of a barrier on all the life stages of the fish. Research has been completed on adult round goby and additional research is being conducted on the effect of water velocity and the electric barrier on juvenile round goby.
“Above all we want to protect the incredible natural resource of Lake Winnebago and the Fox River,” said Jeremy Cords, CEO of the Fox Locks system. “We are conducting the scientific research thoroughly and with multiple reviews by the state DNR to ensure any solution is verified and built for the long term.” Cords adds that the project is extremely complicated involving approval from several state agencies, ongoing research, and planning by regional engineering firms, so it is impossible at this time to forecast a start or completion date on the project.
For more information, please follow us on Facebook or at this link about the Menasha lock.
