Photo of Appleton WI lock curtsy of gwo-main.com
At one time this system of 17 locks allowed commercial traffic to continue upriver through additional locks and connect to the Wisconsin River then to the Mississippi River. This provided a much needed waterway link from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. However with the development of the railroad system and the development of other lock systems the commercial traffic has ceased long ago.Construction of the Fox lock system began in the 1840’s. Due to a lack of funds all but the remaining 3 operational locks were closed in the early 1980’s.
The Fox lock system presently has the first lock in Menasha and the last two locks from Rapid Croche down river to the bay of Green Bay in operation from mid May through the boating season. With the passage of many years of non-use many of the locks are in need of repair.
In 2000 the state of Wisconsin agreed to take over the locks to prevent the system from being abandoned by the army corps of engineers. The state received $11.8 Million with a pledge for an additional $5.6 Million for restoration of the lock system.
With the commercial traffic gone the focus is on tourism and riverfront development. In 1995 an economic impact study was done and this study estimated the re-opening of the lock system would generate a $74 Million annual positive economic impact. With inflation this number should be even higher today.
The ‘private donation’ funding needed to complete this project to re-open and operate the lock system is over ½ way to the goal of $6 Million.
The Friends of the fox http://www.friendsofthefox.org/ is working to raise funds to re-open the lock system and ensure operation for the future. To protect the Winnebago water system of invasive species they plan to build a barrier at Rapide Cronche.
The Friends of the fox http://www.friendsofthefox.org/ will be holding a meeting to give a status update on the project to re-open the lock system. This meeting will be held April 29, 2006 at Waverly Beach starting at 5:00 PM. Waverly Beach, N8770 Fire Lane 1, Menasha, WI 54952.
The above information was prepared by Presentation Rentals a audiovisual equipment rental company in Appleton Wisconsin that offers LCD projector PA public address sound system and accessories. Visit them on the web at http://www.presentationrentals.net
Boat - SeaRay Sundancer 240
Port - Slip #2A, Skipper Buds, Oshkosh, WI
Lisa
1 comment:
When we got married we bought a little house with a huge yard. Soon there after we could have afforded a bigger, cabins but we loved the house we owned. By sticking with our $700 mortgage instead of taking on a $2000 mortgage we left ourselves able to save more and better withstand any sort of financial shock. This is not to say you should stay in a house you don't like but we loved the house and it was very inexpensive. The reward for this came quickly.
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