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The Fox Locks pre-date the Civil War, so there is a large body of historical information on the system. We are lucky to have an amateur historian on staff, and these are excerpts from Scott Thompson’s greater research into the system.

A brief history of boats cruising the Fox

A boat built for combat was hauling logs from Canada on the lock system after WWII. According to an article in the Appleton Post Crescent from Sept 28, 1946, the PlusWood Company purchased such a craft. The LCT (Landing Craft -Tanks) was perhaps built for beach landings in Europe towards the end of WWII, but was never used in combat. 

You can see the PlusWood working its way through the Kaukauna Locks in the photo below. We believe the view is downstream towards Lock #2 with a view of the lock tender house on the left side of the canal. Not many photos available of that house!

The history of the locks is intertwined with the boats that cruised the Fox River. In 1891, the tugboat christened as, “U.S. Lake Survey No. 1”, was soon renamed to honor Gouverneur Kemble Warren who was a civil engineer and Army general who fought at Gettysburg during the Civil War. The General G.K. Warren tug worked the lower Fox River and canals until 1920.

A few historical documents tell a story about the people working on these boats and what life on the river was like. A checklist of “Serviceable Engineer Property” was created when the General GK Warren tug was delivered to Kaukauna in 1892.  The variety of items range from axes to blankets to sugar!

In 1904, Thomas Lee was classified as a “laborer” and this is his pay stub representing a day’s work on a canal boat working on the upper dam in Appleton. On additional forms his work description was, “Operation and care of canals and other Fox River Navigation” but look closely at his day rate of pay of $1.50.

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In: dePere lock, fox locks, fox river locks, Fox River Navigational System Authority, General, take your kid to work, tour fox locks

Every year the DOT regional office schedules a “take your kid to work” event that combines fun activities and learning. This year, the office combined an outing to the DePere lock with a demonstration on boat safety from a DNR warden. About 46 kids and 24 adults attended to learn the history and operation of the DePere lock—the busiest lock of all 17 locks on the Fox River. Lock tenders talked about how the locks were used for shipping, cargo, and vital to navigate the sharp drop in elevation of the Fox River. From Menasha to Green Bay, the river drops 168 feet in elevation—equal to the vertical height of Niagara Falls.

Lock tender Scott Thompson explained the size of boats that can fit into the lock chambers and told the kids that in the late 1800s and early 1900s the river was used to ship goods on giant barges and ships. The kids all got the chance to flood the lock chamber by opening the valves and taking a spin on the turnstile to open the giant lock doors. The word from the kids: “This is COOL!”

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The official summer season is over and to mark the end of a busy season, we held a year-end celebration. In attendance—the people who keep the locks functioning and who literally open the gates for you. These are unique jobs that are rooted in the state’s history. When barges and paddle boats used the river as the main transportation route through Northeast Wisconsin, lock tenders and their families lived in homes at the lock. Their job was to open the gates any time a vessel approached, day or night.

Today our traffic is almost all recreational and the lock tenders don’t live at the locks, but they are still there to open the massive gates to let boat traffic through.

Our lock tenders, maintenance team, support staff, and board members gathered to thank everyone for their hard work. This year marked the first we went all cashless, and lock tenders rallied to the task of checking electronic passes.  We also acknowledged some milestones in service to the system and recognized these folks:

  • Austin Cords, 2 years of service
  • Kathy Lemmer, 2 years of service
  • Joe Holschuh, 2 years of service
  • Dick Vande Hey, 3 years of service
  • Jeremy Cords, 5 years of service
  • Pat Spaay, 6 years of service
  • Scott Thompson, 14 years of service

To top off the evening, our team was treated to a cruise on the Fox River with Captain Dave Peck of River Tyme Tours launching out of River Heath. We thank all of our lock tenders and support teams for their great work and look forward to seeing them next season!

Lock tenders and guests celebrated the end of the ’22 season at Poplar Hall, near Appleton lock 4.

Lock tender Mike Bye shows off his customized shirt!

Executive Director Phil Ramlet and Board Member John Vette.

Phil Ramlet recognizes Jeremy Cords for 5 years of service.

Phil Ramlet recognizes Dick Vande Hey for three years of service.

Phil Ramlet recognizes Pat Spaay for six years of service. Pat is a jack of all trades at the locks!

Phil Ramlet thanks Joe Holschuh for opening the locks for two years.

Kathy Lemmer is thanked for being a lock tender for two years–yes, women can open the lock gates, too!

It’s a family affair for the Lasees! Joe is the official lock tender, but his son Elijah accompanies him on most of his shifts.

Phil Ramlet with our engineering partner Tim Bolwerk from Westwood Professional Services.

Our resident historian Christine Williams with Tim Vosters. Tim’s family was lock tenders for generations.

Lock tenders young and old celebrate the end of the boating season!

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http://foxlocks.org/2022/09/08/fox-locks-team-celebrates-end-of-season/

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The official summer season is over and to mark the end of a busy season, we held a year-end celebration. In attendance—the people who keep the locks functioning and who literally open the gates for you. These are unique jobs that are rooted in the state’s history. When barges and paddle boats used the river as the main transportation route through Northeast Wisconsin, lock tenders and their families lived in homes at the lock. Their job was to open the gates any time a vessel approached, day or night.
Today our traffic is almost all recreational and the lock tenders don’t live at the locks, but they are still there to open the massive gates to let boat traffic through.
Our lock tenders, maintenance team, support staff, and board members gathered to thank everyone for their hard work. This year marked the first we went all cashless, and lock tenders rallied to the task of checking electronic passes.  We also acknowledged some milestones in service to the system and recognized these folks:

  • Austin Cords, 2 years of service
  • Kathy Lemmer, 2 years of service
  • Joe Holschuh, 2 years of service
  • Dick Vande Hey, 3 years of service
  • Jeremy Cords, 5 years of service
  • Pat Spaay, 6 years of service
  • Scott Thompson, 14 years of service

To top off the evening, our team was treated to a cruise on the Fox River with Captain Dave Peck of River Tyme Tours launching out of River Heath. We thank all of our lock tenders and support teams for their great work and look forward to seeing them next season!

Lock tenders and guests celebrated the end of the ’22 season at Poplar Hall, near Appleton lock 4.

Lock tender Mike Bye shows off his customized shirt!

Executive Director Phil Ramlet and Board Member John Vette.

Phil Ramlet recognizes Jeremy Cords for 5 years of service.

Phil Ramlet recognizes Dick Vande Hey for three years of service.

Phil Ramlet recognizes Pat Spaay for six years of service. Pat is a jack of all trades at the locks!

Phil Ramlet thanks Joe Holschuh for opening the locks for two years.

Kathy Lemmer is thanked for being a lock tender for two years–yes, women can open the lock gates, too!

It’s a family affair for the Lasees! Joe is the official lock tender, but his son Elijah accompanies him on most of his shifts.

Phil Ramlet with our engineering partner Tim Bolwerk from Westwood Professional Services.

Our resident historian Christine Williams with Tim Vosters. Tim’s family was lock tenders for generations.

Lock tenders young and old celebrate the end of the boating season!

Original Article

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http://foxlocks.org/2022/09/08/fox-locks-team-celebrates-end-of-season/

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Just announced: purchase a season pass for the remainder of the navigation year and it’s half off! Our season ends Sept. 5 at most upriver locks, but extends until Sept. 25 for DePere and Little Kaukauna locks. Your season pass covers any and all locks as often as you wish to cruise. And remember there’s a lot of beautiful weather left to cruise the locks after Labor day. For more info, visit our website. 

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http://foxlocks.org/2022/08/09/50-off-season-passes/

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Just announced: purchase a season pass for the remainder of the navigation year and it’s half off! Our season ends Sept. 5 at most upriver locks, but extends until Sept. 25 for DePere and Little Kaukauna locks. Your season pass covers any and all locks as often as you wish to cruise. And remember there’s a lot of beautiful weather left to cruise the locks after Labor day. For more info, visit our website. 

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By Mary Schmidt, Fox Locks Marketing

We’re used to seeing pontoons, pleasure boats, and kayaks through the Fox Locks, but imagine if a pleasure cruiser longer than a football field were to go through a lock. You’d need a really big lock and that’s what we saw on a recent cruise on the Danube River. Our tour passed through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary where we crossed through several locks—most during the overnight hours. We were on board the Avalon Passion, one of the Avalon line’s river cruisers—at 443’ long and 39’ wide, the ship can be a tight fit in a lock if there are other boats present. As a comparison, our locks are between 35’-37’ long!

We started the cruise at Regensburg, Germany, then crossed beautiful hills on the way to Passau, Germany. The Jochenstein Lock is in the Wachau Valley near Passau and provided excellent views through the locks.

The captain invited us onto the bridge to watch the process, but as soon as we were in the lock, he steered the ship from controls located on the port and starboard sides of the ship. There, he got a closer look at the clearance on the sides of the lock—at some points it was only a few inches. Please watch this short video to get an idea of what it’s like to travel through locks that have been in use for commercial and pleasure crafts for years.

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http://foxlocks.org/2022/07/18/a-trip-through-european-locks/

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By Mary Schmidt, Fox Locks Marketing

We’re used to seeing pontoons, pleasure boats, and kayaks through the Fox Locks, but imagine if a pleasure cruiser longer than a football field were to go through a lock. You’d need a really big lock and that’s what we saw on a recent cruise on the Danube River. Our tour passed through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary where we crossed through several locks—most during the overnight hours. We were on board the Avalon Passion, one of the Avalon line’s river cruisers—at 443’ long and 39’ wide, the ship can be a tight fit in a lock if there are other boats present. As a comparison, our locks are between 35’-37’ long!

We started the cruise at Regensburg, Germany, then crossed beautiful hills on the way to Passau, Germany. The Jochenstein Lock is in the Wachau Valley near Passau and provided excellent views through the locks.

The captain invited us onto the bridge to watch the process, but as soon as we were in the lock, he steered the ship from controls located on the port and starboard sides of the ship. There, he got a closer look at the clearance on the sides of the lock—at some points it was only a few inches. Please watch this short video to get an idea of what it’s like to travel through locks that have been in use for commercial and pleasure crafts for years.

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http://foxlocks.org/2022/07/18/a-trip-through-european-locks/

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The board of directors of the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) has appointed Phil Ramlet as executive director of the organization. Ramlet recently retired from Westwood Professional Services, where he worked for more than 40 years on large infrastructure construction projects. For the last 15 years, he has consulted with FRNSA on property and construction issues for the system.  He has been an active community leader serving in a volunteer capacity on the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley’s Community Real Estate Personal Property Foundation, he served as chairperson of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce, chairperson of the Appleton Redevelopment Authority, and was a board member for both the YMCA of the Fox Cities and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

The move is part of a realignment for the Fox Locks in which Jeremy Cords will assume the duties of director of operations for the system. He will be responsible for overseeing all lock operations and system maintenance.   

“This move positions the system for future growth and now we are staffed with the resources to realize our vision,” said Ron Van De Hey, board chairman of the Fox Locks. “We want to attract more boaters and pedestrians to the locks to learn about their role in the historic, economic, and cultural development of Northeast Wisconsin.”

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Phil Ramlet, Executive Director, FRNSA

The board of directors of the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) has appointed Phil Ramlet as executive director of the organization. Ramlet recently retired from Westwood Professional Services, where he worked for more than 40 years on large infrastructure construction projects. For the last 15 years, he has consulted with FRNSA on property and construction issues for the system.  He has been an active community leader serving in a volunteer capacity on the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley’s Community Real Estate Personal Property Foundation, he served as chairperson of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce, chairperson of the Appleton Redevelopment Authority, and was a board member for both the YMCA of the Fox Cities and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

The move is part of a realignment for the Fox Locks in which Jeremy Cords will assume the duties of director of operations for the system. He will be responsible for overseeing all lock operations and system maintenance.   

“This move positions the system for future growth and now we are staffed with the resources to realize our vision,” said Ron Van De Hey, board chairman of the Fox Locks. “We want to attract more boaters and pedestrians to the locks to learn about their role in the historic, economic, and cultural development of Northeast Wisconsin.”

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http://foxlocks.org/2022/06/20/ramlet-named-executive-director/

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June 30th, 2022 UPDATE: The Appleton, Cedars, Little Chute and Combined locks will be open this weekend and will operate until 11:00PM on July 3rd and 4th!

Little Rapids and De Pere will be open until midnight on July 4th!

Original Post June 15th

Attention boaters–all four Appleton locks are closed to boat traffic as of 6.12.22. Repairs are needed to lock 3 to replace rotted boards on the giant lock gates. Our team is hard at work to get this done as quickly as possible and we hope to re-open by the weekend of the 4th of July.

We are fixing a sink hole in the levee at Little Chute, so that lock and Combined Locks are closed this weekend, June 18 & 19. Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page to find out when these locks will re-open.

If you have any questions, please contact our offices at 920-455-9174.

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Attention boaters–all four Appleton locks are closed to boat traffic as of 6.12.22. Repairs are needed to lock 3 to replace rotted boards on the giant lock gates. Our team is hard at work to get this done as quickly as possible and we hope to re-open by the Fourth of July. If you have any questions, please contact our offices at 920-455-9174.

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THANK YOU to all who traveled through the Fox Locks System this past season! More than 20,000 people explored the Fox River in trips through the locks, making this one of our busiest seasons in recent years! This season, nine locks were operational—next summer we’ll add the Kaukauna locks to that list for a total of 14 operational locks on the Fox River.  Some fun facts for all of you:

  • On our recent Fall Colors weekend, 250 boats went through the locks to view the peak of Wisconsin color!
  • More than 4500 individual boats traveled the locks, 439 of which were canoes or kayaks. 
  • In all, we had 3,187 lockages.
  • No surprise, our busiest months were July & August.

It only costs $10 for a day pass to travel through as many locks as you would like. We also have annual passes available if boating the river is something you do regularly. 

Thanks again for making the Fox Locks part of your Wisconsin summer!

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http://foxlocks.org/2020/10/16/2020-one-of-our-busiest-years/

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Many of the business practices we have at the Fox River Navigational System Authority already take into account social distancing simply due to the nature of our work at the locks. However, to comply with CDC guidelines and state recommendations, we are following these procedures to increase personal safety and limit exposure to the coronavirus.

In our offices:

  • We banned all external visitors from our offices by March 20 and immediately began to work from home.
  • All board meetings and committee meetings have been conducted via videoconference.

At the Locks: This summer we will employ 29 lock tenders at the nine locks on the system that are open for boaters.

  • The nature of operating the locks requires a lock tender to be at each end of the lock, a distance of about 145 feet.
  • Our annual opening day is delayed until May 30, 2020.
  • All lock tenders will be wearing face masks and have hand sanitizer at each lock gate.
  • Lock turnstyles, valve controls and ropes used for anchoring boaters will be wiped down and sanitized after each lockage.
  • When boaters enter the locks, they are between 15’-6’ below the lock’s retaining walls depending on the level of the river, and are naturally socially distanced from the lock tenders.
  • When lock tenders are collecting lock fees they will use a bucket on a pole to avoid contact with boaters.

Our goal is to provide a safe and memorable experience to all boaters traveling through the locks and to pedestrians who want to experience living history in action. For a complete listing of our operating hours and fees to travel the lock system, please visit this link. 

 

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Construction is underway rebuild a section of the canal wall that abuts the Kaukauna Utilities hydroelectric plant on the eastern side of the lock. Over the years, the force of the water in the canal and the effects of winter weather and heavy rains eroded the canal wall structure creating a small sink hole. In fall of 2019, a 30-foot section of the wall slid into the channel.
“This will replace a segment of the original canal wall built when the lock system was created in the 1880s,” said Jeremy Cords, CEO of the Fox Locks system. “It acts as a dyke on lock four and without re-construction, it would be impossible to maintain navigation on this part of the river.”
Construction crews from McMullen & Pitz will install a cofferdam—a structure that allows water to be pumped out to create a dry area in the channel for construction. Crews will dig to the bedrock or hard pack in the channel, pour a new cement foundation for the wall, and use new and original cut stone to rebuild the wall. A portion of the slope behind the canal wall will be covered with stone rip rap to further stabilize the site.
For questions about the project, please contact us at the Fox River Navigational System Authority or use the contact form on our website.

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http://foxlocks.org/2020/02/27/appleton-lock-4-repairs-start/

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In: aquatic invasive species, fox locks, Fox Locks in the News, fox river locks, Fox River Navigational System Authority, Important information, menasha lock closed, Press Releases, round goby

In September of 2015, FRNSA voluntarily closed the Menasha lock at the request of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to prevent the spread of an invasive fish, the round goby, which was discovered in Little Lake Butte des Morts. The goby is one of 192 invasive species found in Lake Michigan. The invasive species barrier at the Rapide Croche lock prevents transmission of any species from the Great Lakes into the lock system and eventually the Lake Winnebago watershed.

What do we know about round goby behavior?

Fish are uniquely sensitive to electrical currents because their muscle control is based on electrical impulses through their nervous system, and because they inhabit a conductive environment. Electrical barriers and guidance systems make use of this sensitivity.

We have reviewed results of scientific reports from researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Based published research, we know these characteristics of the round goby:

  • The round goby is a bottom dweller where the current in an electronic barrier would be strongest.
  • The velocity of the water in the navigation channel will affect the travel of the round goby. Part of the electronic barrier operations plan calls for flushing the lock daily prior to any lockages up or down the system.

 How did the round goby get here?

The round goby is an invasive fish found in the Great Lakes. Several were found in Little Lake Butte des Morts in September of 2015. When they were discovered, the lock system was not open to the Great Lakes and there were no populations of round gobies in Lake Winnebago according to DNR testing. Additionally at the time of discovery, there were three miles of dry canal and three de-watered locks between Little Lake Butte des Morts and Kaukauna. It is important to remember the Fox River flows north and it is impossible for fish to travel from the bay of Green Bay to Lake Winnebago through the lock system due to the barrier at the Rapide Croche lock. The round goby were most likely introduced into the system as fishing bait, or on pleasure boats that were not adequately cleaned.

Is the Menasha lock the main entry point for round gobies?

No. Since the fish was found, there is a verified population in Little Lake Butte des Morts. Currently, there are more than 60 boat landings into Lake Winnebago that are not monitored, and each summer float planes land in Lake Winnebago thus increasing access points for invasive species.

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Many of our customers and concerned citizens have asked specific questions about the proposed electric barrier for the Menasha Lock. We’re answering some of those questions here in order to give you the facts about the propsed project.

Where will the barrier be located?

The barrier will be constructed immediately downstream of the Menasha lock (remember, the Fox River flows north from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay). The lock is located at 82 Broad Street in the City of Menasha. FRNSA leases the property immediately around the lock from the State of Wisconsin.

What changes are proposed for the Menasha lock?

The proposal calls for building a 100-foot long concrete channel, 36 feet wide with vertical walls approximately 13 feet high (2’ will be visible above the waterline). Electrodes will be recessed in the concrete to create a pulsed DC electrical current. A portion of the riverbank on each side of the channel will be filled in to support the concrete channel. The plan calls for installing failsafe systems in the event of a power outage that include a backup natural gas powered generation system, an uninterpretable power supply to cover any possible lapse in power, and almost a dozen other closely monitored alarm controls that will alert operators to any system changes. The system is being built for future adaptability in mind to deter other invasive species.

Is the electric barrier dangerous to humans?

The barrier uses a pulsed field of direct current (DC) in the water that is not dangerous to humans on shore or in their boats. When going through the proposed barrier, boaters must follow a few safety precautions that are normally required for transit through the locks:

  • All boaters must wear an approved personal flotation device (PFD)
  • When entering the lock, all boat passengers must keep their arms, legs, and metal paddles out of the water.
  • No swimming is allowed in a lock or lock channel (there never has been)

Passengers must not get on or off a boat within locks or the lock channel

Where are electric barrier systems currently in use?

Use of electricity to guide and block fish is not a new concept and was derived from electroshocking technology used by fishery departments in nearly all states. Electrical barriers built in the 1950s and 1960s are still in operation. Electric barriers are custom-designed for each situation and, as such, include a wide variety of barrier geometries, waveforms, and field strengths. In short, the objective of each barrier and guidance system is what drives the system design.

More than 70 Smith-Root-designed electrical barriers and guidance systems have been installed across the globe. In Midwestern states such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois Smith-Root has 28 pulsed DC electrical barriers in operation for multiple years and monitoring shows the barriers operate reliably.

The design proposal is currently 60% complete and has been submitted to the state DNR for review and approval. For more information including design proposals, construction proposals, and supporting documentation, visit this link. 

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http://foxlocks.org/2019/10/14/get-the-facts-the-menasha-barrier-part-2/

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The proposed electric barrier at the Menasha lock

For the last three years, the Fox River Navigational System Augthority (FRNSA) has been the only entity that has been leading the charge to find solutions to open the Menasha lock by seeking out proposals using the best available science and new technology. We have invested more than $200,000 to find solutions that use proven scientific studies and believe we have a solution. The proposed electric barrier is the best, most current technology to meet the needs of all parties. The Fox River watershed belongs to all citizens of the state of Wisconsin as well as all recreational and commercial boaters, silent sport users, homeowners, business owners, tour boat owners, fisherman and women, and the non-boating public. The goals of the barrier system are:

  • prevent the spread of the round goby into the Lake Winnebago watershed,
  • return the Menasha lock to operation,
  • build a system that can be adapted to prevent the spread of any future invasive species.

We are working with researchers from USGS, ACOE, DNR as well as engineers from OMNNI Associates to review the most recent scientific research on invasive species barriers and solutions that have worked for other communities in the Great Lakes region. Smith-Root, one of the nation’s leaders in aquatic ecosystem management, is designing a plan using a system of electric deterrent barrier and water flow regulation at the Menasha lock to stop the spread of the round goby.

This concept involves building a concrete, U-shaped channel with a smooth surface similar to a pool, adjacent to and downstream from the Menasha lock. Electrodes would be recessed in the bottom of the channel. This type of a barrier will allow boat traffic to pass through the channel while halting the passage of fish. The barrier delivers a pulsing DC current to fish entering the channel, causing them to turn around and not enter the lock; it also uses a flushing flow water velocity process to prevent the round goby from moving into the lock channel. The DC current in the water is not dangerous to humans.

The design proposal is currently 60% complete and has been submitted to the state DNR for review and approval. This proposed design is estimated at $3 million, all of which FRNSA will fund through monies generated from community fundraising and investment income.

For more information, please visit this link. 

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http://foxlocks.org/2019/09/30/get-the-facts-the-menasha-lock-barrier/

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Another fantastic season for the Fox Locks is in the books! Thank you to all of you who traveled through the locks and every year we hope to make improvements in the experience. Many don’t remember that the locks system has not been in operation since the early 1980s, so an entire generation has grown up without the experience of traveling through the historic lock system.

Speaking of history, here’s a quick look at notable dates and events for the lock system:

1825 Construction of Erie Canal completed, idea of connecting Green Bay and Prairie du Chien via water becomes reality.

1848 Wisconsin becomes a state.

1849 Construction begins on Fox & Wisconsin River improvements

1851 Contracts awarded for lock construction at Kaukauna and Little Chute

1866 Wisconsin Improvement Company, owner of the lock project, declared bankruptcy

1870 Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company takes over management of the locks

1872 United States Army Corps of Engineers acquires navigational control of the waterway

1886 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers abandons Wisconsin River portion of locks system

1922 Dredging for commercial traffic on the Fox River halts

1959 Last vessel navigates the full length of the Fox River

1982 Army Corps of Engineers recommends the lock system is dismantled

1984 Local citizens and elected officials start a campaign to fund and keep the locks open

1993 Individual locks named to the National Register of Historic Places, part of the National Park Service.

2001 State statute 237 creates the Fox River Navigational System Authority

2004 Ownership of the lock system is transferred from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the State of Wisconsin

2005 Repair and renovation begins on the lock system

2015 All locks are restored to full operational functionality

Fall 2015: Menasha Lock voluntarily closed due to discovery of Round Goby in Little Lake Butte des Morts.

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2019/09/16/fox-locks-timeline-history-at-a-glance/

Fox Locks