The future of the Menasha Lock may turn on how many invasive round gobies researchers find in the Winnebago water system.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay are studying how prevalent round gobies are in the system. Phil Ramlet, executive director of the Fox River Navigational System Authority, said finding more gobies in Lake Winnebago and its tributaries would likely prompt a fuller discussion about when the lock could open.
The lock has been closed for 11 years to keep gobies out of the lake. In the past two years, however, several of the fish have been found near Oshkosh.
DNR fisheries biologist Angelo Cozzola said that if the study finds a significant population already present, the Department of Natural Resources could advise opening the lock, which could influence the navigational authority's decision. If few gobies are found, the lock is unlikely to reopen.
While the lock stays closed, boaters cannot travel from the Fox River into Lake Winnebago and must instead trailer to a separate launch. The study is planned over three years, though officials said a decision on the lock could come sooner, in part because of concerns about effects on Lake Winnebago's distinctive sturgeon fishery.
