A decorative chain found at the bottom of the empty Soo Locks this winter. Photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI - With more than 4,000 vessels traveling through the Soo Locks each year, sometimes the biggest mystery when the huge chambers are emptied for annual maintenance is what treasures might be found at the bottom. Now we’ve got answers, thanks to recent finds being shared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Detroit District, which is overseeing the current winter work at the Soo.

The huge locks system on the St. Marys River shut down in mid-January for a long list of upgrades and fixes expected to be finished by late March. The water was emptied from the big Poe Lock that can accommodate the 1,000-foot-long freighters. Also emptied was the smaller MacArthur Lock. Together, this means draining about 73.3 million gallons of water. On the to-do list for the empty locks: cleaning the drainage system below the lock floors.

“Every year, once the locks are empty, crews at the Soo Locks start cleaning the drainage system below the lock floors,” the Army Corps said recently, posting photos of the work crew on its Facebook page. “This year the drain crew, also called the ‘mucking crew,’ concentrated on the lower ends of the Poe and MacArthur Locks removing approximately 50 cubic yards of debris.”

While the always-in-use Poe Lock has its drain area cleaned every year, this is the first time in a while that the MacArthur Lock area has been cleaned out.

“In all, the crew estimates they removed about 50 cubic yards of debris. Rocks, dirt, and sticks formed the bulk of the debris collected in the drains.” There’s also the occasional tool that’s been lost off a ship.

“Among the mud, rocks and sticks, workers did find a few ‘treasures’ among the trash.”

A piece of decorative gold chain was fished out from the debris, as well as a fork.

A fork found among debris at the bottom of the Soo Locks. Photo provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The photos shared on social media show how crews shovel out all the debris and use equipment to raise it to the surface, where it is hauled away in a skid-steer.

“After finishing in the Poe Lock, workers move to the reservoir at the lower end of the MacArthur Lock to begin removing the debris that had accumulated over several years,” Army Corps staff said.

“A shovelful at a time, workers remove the mounds of debris. Work in this reservoir is a wet and dirty task with several inches of water covering the floor and dripping from above.”

When the Soo Locks closed in January, three ships went through the Poe Lock together for an icy finish.

The locks system, which allows marine traffic to flow in and out of Lake Superior, is scheduled to remain closed until March 25. The system is a necessary way to move cargo on the upper Great Lakes, as it raises and lowers vessels to accommodate the 23-foot elevation difference between Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

On this year’s winter work list: inspections of the hydraulic steel structure, maintenance on mechanical and electrical systems, seal replacement, structural repairs and pier inspections, according to the Associated Press.

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