 When the gate of the newly descended top caisson and lower reach gates open at the bottom, the extra foot of water flows out and equalizes with the water level in the lower reach of the canal, and any descended vessels exit, allowing the cycle to start over again.Sept 6th, 2019 the right lift lock was closed following an inspection.Only the right caisson is working until further notice, taking 3.5 to go up (powered by external pump) and over 30 minutes to go down.