KAUKAUNA (NBC 26) — The Fox Locks system and the City of Kaukauna officially opened the five locks on the Fox River in a ceremony Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Fox Locks, repairs to the Veterans Memorial Lift Bridge in Kaukauna are complete and the bridge will raise and lower to welcome the first boat traffic on the Kaukauna section of the lock system in more than 35 years.
“This project is yet another progressive move for our City and for the long-term betterment of our community,” said City of Kaukauna Mayor, Tony Penterman. “Opening these five locks to boater traffic will give Kaukauna an economic boost and connection to the Fox Cities. Boaters will now be able to take in all the beautiful views the Fox River has to offer throughout Kaukauna.”
The one-mile stretch of the Fox River represents the sharpest elevation drop of 50.4 feet from the guard lock near downtown Kaukauna to lock 5 just north of the Grignon Mansion.
“This is a reality we have been looking forward to for generations,” said Jeremy Cords, CEO of the Fox River Navigational System Authority. “Boats haven’t been able to travel on the Fox River from Menasha to Kaukauna for generations and this represents opening the last major stretch of the locks system since they were reconstructed in 2015.”
So far this summer, boat traffic has more than doubled. From May 22-May 31, 372 boats & kayaks traveled through the open locks as compared to 116 boats & kayaks over the same period in 2020. Traffic during last summer also increased significantly over traffic in 2019.
“We’re confident opening the Kaukauna locks will break all of these records and bring more recreational boaters through the system,” Cords said.
Of the 39-mile lock system about 30 miles will be open in 2021 for navigation. Boaters can travel from the bay of Green Bay to the Rapide Croche lock just south of Wrightstown. The river is also navigable from the Rapide Croche lock south through Kaukauna, Little Chute, Appleton, and into Little Lake Butte des Morts to the closed Menasha lock. Both the Menasha lock and the Rapide Croche lock are closed to prevent the spread of invasive species.
