Utility work draws down water in Appleton navigational canal and closes locks to boaters

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read

Reader question: Why are the Appleton locks closed? When will they be open to boaters?

Answer: The Fox River locks are billed as the only fully restored, hand-operated lock system in the nation. Designed to connect Lake Winnebago and the Bay of Green Bay, the 17-lock system opened for the boating season on May 18 with several exceptions.

Water levels are low in the Appleton navigational canal, as seen in this view of Appleton lock 3 near Lawe Street.
Water levels are low in the Appleton navigational canal, as seen in this view of Appleton lock 3 near Lawe Street.

The utility work required the drawdown of the Appleton navigational canal, which resulted in the closure of all of the Appleton locks.

In a May 16 Facebook post, the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) anticipated the Appleton locks would be open by Memorial Day weekend. The target wasn't met, and the completion was pushed back to mid-June, but that timeframe also won't be met.

"It appears that it may take another week or two," FRNSA Executive Director Philip Ramlet said.

FRNSA spokeswoman Mary Schmidt said crews will inspect the levee affected by the utility work to ensure it is safe before flooding the navigational canal.

"It usually takes a few days to get the water levels up in the navigation channel, so we're asking folks to stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates," Schmidt said.

A floating dock lies on the mud in the Appleton navigational canal upstream of Appleton lock 2. The Oneida Street bridge is in the background.
A floating dock lies on the mud in the Appleton navigational canal upstream of Appleton lock 2. The Oneida Street bridge is in the background.

Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions

Fox River locks at a glance

The lower Fox River falls 168 feet from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay, comparable to the drop at Niagara Falls. A system of locks, canals and dams was built in the 1840s and 1850s to tame the rapids and make the waterway navigable for transporting goods and people. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assumed responsibility of the locks in 1872.

The locks system was key to Wisconsin’s shipping and paper industries but was closed in the mid-1980s as those industries declined and maintenance costs grew. The corps transferred ownership of the locks to the state of Wisconsin in 2004, and the state created the Fox River Navigational System Authority to repair and reopen the locks.

  • 2005: Stabilization of the Little Chute and Kaukauna locks

  • 2006: Restoration of Appleton locks 1-4

  • 2007: Restoration of the Cedars lock in Little Chute

  • 2008: Reconstruction of the Little Chute canal levee

  • 2009: Restoration of the Little Chute and Combined Locks locks

  • 2010: Exterior restoration of eight lock keeper houses

  • 2011: Restoration of Kaukauna lock 4

  • 2014-15: Restoration of Kaukauna locks 1, 2, 3 and 5

  • 2015: Closure of the Menasha lock

  • 2021: Completion of repairs to the Veterans Memorial Lift Bridge in Kaukauna and the reopening of the Kaukauna locks

  • 2024: Temporary closure of Appleton locks 1-4

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Boaters can't get through Appleton locks, but that should change soon