May 8, 2006

LOCKS ON THE MUSKINGUM RIVER PARKWAY TO OPEN MAY 13
Lock Number 8 at Rokeby undergoing renovation; will open in early July

COLUMBUS, OH - Eight of the 10 operating locks on the Muskingum River Parkway in southeastern Ohio will open for spring boating on Saturday, May 13. The Number 8 Lock at Rokeby remains under renovation and will open in early July. Lock # 11 at Ellis will remain closed for the entire 2006 boating season, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Lock technicians at all eight locks will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 13-14 and May 20-21, except for a 30-minute break from 2 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

Special Memorial Day weekend hours are 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Friday, May 26, through Monday, May 29, with each lock again closing from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. those days.

Summer hours will begin Friday, June 2 and run through September 22. Regular operating hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Mondays; 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Each lock will be closing those days from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The parkway will celebrate its admission to the National Register of Historic Places with a “Free Boating Weekend” from Friday, June 16, to Monday, June 19. Boaters are invited to experience the Muskingum River and its unique lock system at no charge during those four days.

For additional information, contact the Muskingum River Parkway office at 740-453-4377. Or, visit ohiostateparks.org on the Internet.