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FRNSA board of directors members and staff pose in front of the ribbon ready to dedicate the Kaukauna Locks Trail

Years of hard work and extreme generosity from funders made the Kaukauna Locks Trail a reality today! Representatives from the Fox Locks board of directors, community leaders, elected officials, and regional attractions gathered in Kaukauna today to dedicate and cut the ribbon on the new trail.

The 1.3-mile recreational trail runs adjacent to the five Kaukauna locks and is a reality thanks to a $300,000 grant from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (CFFVR). CEO of the Community Foundation Curt Detjen thanked the board members and partners of the Fox Locks for making the trail a reality and said it was part of the Nelson family’s vision to aid organizations in the Kaukauna region.

The trail is now open for public use!

L-R, CEO of the Community Foundation Curt Detjen and FRNSA Board Chair Ron Van De Hey get ready to cut the ribbon while FRNSA Executive Director Phil Ramlet looks on.

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2022/08/17/kaukauna-locks-trail-opens-to-public/

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Years of hard work and extreme generosity from funders made the Kaukauna Locks Trail a reality today! Representatives from the Fox Locks board of directors, community leaders, elected officials, and regional attractions gathered in Kaukauna today to dedicate and cut the ribbon on the new trail.
The 1.3-mile recreational trail runs adjacent to the five Kaukauna locks and is a reality thanks to a $300,000 grant from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region (CFFVR). CEO of the Community Foundation Curt Detjen thanked the board members and partners of the Fox Locks for making the trail a reality and said it was part of the Nelson family’s vision to aid organizations in the Kaukauna region.
The trail is now open for public use!

FRNSA board of directors members and staff pose in front of the ribbon ready to dedicate the Kaukauna Locks Trail
L-R, CEO of the Community Foundation Curt Detjen and FRNSA Board Chair Ron Van De Hey get ready to cut the ribbon while FRNSA Executive Director Phil Ramlet looks on.

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2022/08/17/kaukauna-locks-trail-opens-to-public/

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In: Events, fox locks, fox locks appleton, Fox Locks in the News, fox river boating, fox river colors, fox river kayak, Fox River Navigational System Authority, Important information, What's going on?

THANK YOU to all who traveled through the Fox Locks System this past season! More than 20,000 people explored the Fox River in trips through the locks, making this one of our busiest seasons in recent years! This season, nine locks were operational—next summer we’ll add the Kaukauna locks to that list for a total of 14 operational locks on the Fox River.  Some fun facts for all of you:

  • On our recent Fall Colors weekend, 250 boats went through the locks to view the peak of Wisconsin color!
  • More than 4500 individual boats traveled the locks, 439 of which were canoes or kayaks. 
  • In all, we had 3,187 lockages.
  • No surprise, our busiest months were July & August.

It only costs $10 for a day pass to travel through as many locks as you would like. We also have annual passes available if boating the river is something you do regularly. 

Thanks again for making the Fox Locks part of your Wisconsin summer!

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2020/10/16/2020-one-of-our-busiest-years/

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This summer, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey set up at the closed lock 2 in Kaukauna and conducted a series of studies designed to assess the effects of a carbon dioxide barrier. The team built a large carbon dioxide infusion system and operated it in the closed lock and pond, taking thousands of measurements and recording data. This winter, scientists will assess the data to determine the effectiveness of a CO2 barrier in deterring fish, and the potential effects on animals, the river, and the atmosphere. Listen to this short video for more information and watch for the results in 2020!

 

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2019/11/15/study-underway-on-co2-barriers/

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In: dePere lock, fox locks, Fox Locks in the News, Fox River Locks History, Fox River Navigational System Authority, History & Fun Facts, Important information, Little Chute lock, menasha lock, What's going on?

Another fantastic season for the Fox Locks is in the books! Thank you to all of you who traveled through the locks and every year we hope to make improvements in the experience. Many don’t remember that the locks system has not been in operation since the early 1980s, so an entire generation has grown up without the experience of traveling through the historic lock system.

Speaking of history, here’s a quick look at notable dates and events for the lock system:

1825 Construction of Erie Canal completed, idea of connecting Green Bay and Prairie du Chien via water becomes reality.

1848 Wisconsin becomes a state.

1849 Construction begins on Fox & Wisconsin River improvements

1851 Contracts awarded for lock construction at Kaukauna and Little Chute

1866 Wisconsin Improvement Company, owner of the lock project, declared bankruptcy

1870 Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company takes over management of the locks

1872 United States Army Corps of Engineers acquires navigational control of the waterway

1886 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers abandons Wisconsin River portion of locks system

1922 Dredging for commercial traffic on the Fox River halts

1959 Last vessel navigates the full length of the Fox River

1982 Army Corps of Engineers recommends the lock system is dismantled

1984 Local citizens and elected officials start a campaign to fund and keep the locks open

1993 Individual locks named to the National Register of Historic Places, part of the National Park Service.

2001 State statute 237 creates the Fox River Navigational System Authority

2004 Ownership of the lock system is transferred from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the State of Wisconsin

2005 Repair and renovation begins on the lock system

2015 All locks are restored to full operational functionality

Fall 2015: Menasha Lock voluntarily closed due to discovery of Round Goby in Little Lake Butte des Morts.

Original Article

Blog – Fox Locks

Blog – Fox Locks

http://foxlocks.org/2019/09/16/fox-locks-timeline-history-at-a-glance/

Fox Locks