Appleton Lock four, May 15, 2018. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The completion of repairs at an Appleton lock has wrapped up, paving the way for the four locks in the Fox River flats to open for the summer season.
Most of the Fox River locks system opened in mid-May. However, a utility construction project at Appleton Lock 2 meant there could be no navigation through locks 1, 2, 3 and 4 through the flats.
Now that the work is finished, officials say the Appleton locks will open to boaters Sunday and operate its normal summer hours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Click here to see the full operating schedule.
Anyone who wants to use the system needs either a $10 day pass or a $100 annual pass.
The Wisconsin locks tradition, which dates back over 150 years, has changed very little since its inception. It still sees cranks maneuvered by hand to raise the water level, allowing boaters, kayakers and canoeists to quickly change elevation. The Fox River locks system spans two stretches of the river totaling nearly 40 miles.
All locks except De Pere and Little Kaukauna will be closed on July 4, officials say.
The Rapide Croche dam is permanently closed to prevent lampreys from getting upstream, and the Menasha lock has been closed since 2015 to prevent round goby from spreading to Lake Winnebago.
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