The Menasha lock on the Fox River is closed June 25, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The board which operates the Fox River locks will not pursue an electrification barrier for the Menasha lock — and will keep the lock between Lake Winnebago and Little Lake Butte des Morts closed.
The Menasha lock had been the most-used lock in the system between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay. After the discovery of a round goby below the Neenah dam in 2015, the lock was closed in an effort to keep the invasive fish out of Lake Winnebago. Since then, the round goby has become abundant in the Fox River and Little Lake Butte des Morts.
The Fox River Navigational System Authority has spent more than $750,000 on a proposed electronic barrier which would have allowed boats to pass through the lock, but emit a DC current to repulse fish from entering the lock channel.
However, with an installation cost of $7 million, plus an annual operating cost of $300,000-$400,000, the FRNSA board voted Tuesday to stop work on the project.
“We could not complete the design and construction of the barrier without significant funds from the state and federal governments,” said Phil Ramlet, executive director of FRNSA. “Our goal has always been to restore navigation of the Fox River through the lock system, but we also want to ensure we are protecting the waterways.”
Because the Rapide Croche lock near Wrightstown is closed, the authority is confident the fish didn’t get to Little Lake Butte des Morts naturally.
“It’s possible the goby got into the Fox River through a bait bucket or a boat that was not properly cleaned,” Ramlet said. “There’s no guarantee that we could invest in building an electric barrier only to later find the goby in Lake Winnebago and render the system obsolete.”
From the Menasha lock to the Rapide Croche lock the river has 17 miles of navigable water. On the northern end of the river, from Rapide Croche to Green Bay, the river is navigable for 20 miles
The locks were originally built before Wisconsin became a state and were restored from 2005-2015 at a cost of $14.5 million. The Fox River drops in elevation from Menasha to the Bay of Green Bay 168 feet — a vertical drop equal in height to the drop of Niagara Falls, the system says.
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