Tree removal to protect levees
Over the next few months, you may notice some activity at the locks. Crews will start removing trees from the levees around the locks to preserve the integrity of the earthen levees. Although we love the trees, they pose a danger for long term preservation of the levees.
The levees, or dikes as some people call them, are earthen barriers that are between the actual Fox River and the navigational channels on the lock system. The levees hold back the river current and help support the structure of the locks, but tree roots compromise their structure.
As trees grow, their long roots seek out water in the Fox River and the navigation channels. Once the tree declines and dies, the roots rot and leave voids in the levees which become entry and exit points for water. The wind and wave action in the Fox River gradually increase the voids over years, then soil shifts in the bank creating unstable levees.
This is what happened at the DePere lock in 2019. “We removed several large, rotting root balls from the levee and could clearly see where the voids were making the soil unstable,” said Jeremy Cords, operations director for the Fox Locks. “Water levels on the Fox River change frequently, so we need to find a solution that will preserve the earthen structures for the long term.”
Over the next 3-5 years, crews plan to remove 15-25% of the trees annually from the levees and remove root balls. Once trees are removed, crews will pack the root voids with materials that meet DNR and geotechnical engineering standards.
For any questions concerning this effort, please contact us at info@foxlocks.org.
Blog – Fox Locks
http://foxlocks.org/2023/01/23/tree-removal-to-protect-levees/
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, 
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, 
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.
