The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway

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A New Start for the Cedars Locktender House

Recently the Cedars lock house received a visit from Laib Restoration, a company that deals with architectural restoration. After reviewing the house it became clear that there will be a need for significant demolition and renovating to restore the building to its former glory. Nature and lack of regular repairs have left the house in rather poor conditions.

To complete this project the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway would like to ask our supporters for their help.

The Parkway wants to use volunteers as the backbone of this endeavor. Without the help of dedicated community members, the Parkway would be unable to preserve the historical and natural treasures of this

nation. If we do not receive the amount of volunteers that we need we will soon begin searching for estimates to begin renovations.

If you would like more information about volunteering visit our support us page.

If you would like more information about the Cedars Lock click here.

Thank You to the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region

The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway extends a very special thank you to the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. They have awarded  a two-year capacity building grant in the amount of $35,000*. This money is a necessity for the development and continued growth of the Parkway. The grant is dedicated to  helping us contract with a full-time individual to take on the position of Head of Public Programs and Community Engagement. This new position will be responsible for helping to implement the interpretive master plan by creating programs and services that will benefit our partner communities and heritage sites, as well as ensuring that the Parkway is involved in relevant discussions, projects, and planning. We are incredibly excited to receive this generous grant and cannot wait to put it to good use.

*A fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region

2013 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddles

Join us for the 2013 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddles!

The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway and the North East Wisconsin Paddlers are proud to bring you the 2013 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddles. This annual paddling series is designed to celebrate and explore the Parkway region.

Wisconsin River

May 18-19: Lower Wisconsin River
18 – Arena to Spring Green,
Camp at Wisconsin Riverside Resort
19 – Spring Green to Gotham
Meet & shuttle: 9:30-10:30 AM; Launch 11 AM

Upper Fox River

June 1: Pardeeville Paddle
Indian Trails Campground to Portage
Enjoy Portage’s Canal Days
Meet & shuttle: 9:30-10:30 AM; Launch 11 AM

June 22-23: Upper Fox Paddles
22 – Princeton to Berlin
Camp at Berlin’s Riverside Park
23 – Winneconne to Terrell Island to Rainbow Park in Oshkosh
Meet & shuttle: 9:30-10:30 AM; Launch 11 AM

Lower Fox River

July 20: Park-to-Park Paddle
Shattuck Park (Neenah) to Lutz Park (Appleton)
Meet & shuttle: 7:30-9 AM; Launch 9:30 AM

August 17: Tall Ships Paddle
De Pere to Green Bay
Paddle among replicas of historic sailing ships
Meet & shuttle: 8-9 AM; Launch 9:30 AM

September 28: Appleton Locks Paddle
Lutz Park (Appleton) to Sunset Point Park (Kimberly)
Paddle through Appleton’s four hand-operated locks
Meet & shuttle: 8-9 AM; Launch 9:30 AM

Heritage Paddle Activities

Paddlers are encouraged to seek additional heritage opportunities at each paddle event.

May 18-19: Lower Wisconsin River
Spring Green – Tours of Talieson are available for $45 per person, as well as the Wollersheim Winery.

June 1: Pardeeville Paddle
Portage – Canal Days provides many heritage opportunities, including tours of the Indian Agency House and Surgeons Quarters, historical reenactments at the Indian Agency House, horse-drawn wagon rides and canoe rides on the canal.
Portage – Local paddler, Doug Klapper, will lead a historic walking tour of Marquette & Joliet’s 1673 portage journey down the Wauona Trail. Follow Father Marquette’s 2,7000 paces across the historic 10,000-year-old pathway. First ten hikers get a free walking stick. At trail’s end, see the Marquette and Joliet marker placed in 1905 by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and then complete your historical experience by walking along the beautiful Wisconsin River on the Levee Trail that leads to Portage’s historic downtown or hop on the free shuttle.

• This paddle event sponsored by the City of Portage Business District and the Indian Trails Campground for co-sponsoring this event.

June 22-23: Upper Fox Paddles
Two voyageur canoes and two DNR canoes will be available. On June 23, Pierre Le Blanc will interpret fur trader times as a passenger from one of the canoes during the paddle.

July 20: Park-to-Park Paddle
Two voyageur canoes and two DNR canoes will be available. Please join us after the paddle at the Appleton Yacht Club for a special guest speaker. Paul Robbins, director of the UW Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, will be speanking Wisconsin water bodies and the implications of climate Change.

• This paddle event and speaker sponsored by NEW Land Trust.

August 17: Tall Ships Paddle
One voyageur canoe will be available, as well as historic voyageur, Pierre Le Blanc. The Tall Ships Festival will take place downtown Green Bay, August 16-18.

September 28: Appleton Locks Paddle
Two voyageur canoes and two DNR canoes will be available, as well as historic voyageur, Pierre Le Blanc.

Heritage Paddle Helpful Links

• Registration Information
• Policies & Procedures
• Download the Brochure
• Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddles Photo Stream
• Heritage Parkway Parkway Paddle Maps & Guide
• 2012 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddles

Reserve your spot in a Voyageur Canoe

Two voyageur canoes will participate in these paddles. Interested paddlers can reserve a spot on these historic vessels.

Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe and Nature Current will participate in the Upper Fox Paddles, Park-to-Park Paddle, Tall Ships Paddle and Appleton Locks Paddle (Nature Current only), and have limited capacity for additional paddlers. Please contact Dave Horst if you are interested in this opportunity.

A Journey of Rediscovery: Paddle Books On Sale Now

This book contains a fabulous collection of maps from the 2010-2012 Fox River Heritage Paddles. The maps contain important information such as launching and landing points. The pages are also made of water resistant paper so you do not have to be afraid to take it on your next river adventure!

To order please mail your check ($17/Paddle Book – includes Postage & Handling) along with your name and mailing address to -

Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway

P. O. Box 204

Kimberly, WI  54136

For more information please contact David Horst

2013 Fox River Locks Operating Schedule

Upper Fox Lock Location

Eureka Lock

Open Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekends and holidays 9am to 8pm

Special openings by appointment with 24 hour notice.  Just Call  920-361-BOAT

This lock is operated by the Berlin Boat Club. For more information visit their website.

Lower Fox Lock Locations

User Fee Schedule

Season Unlimited Recreational and Commercial Transit Permit – $120.00

Multi-Vessel Season Unlimited Recreational Transit Permit – $140.00
Recreational vessel owners who own more than one vessel can now purchase a season pass that includes a decal for each of their registered vessels.

Daily Limited Transit Permits based on boat length:
Less than 26 ft. – $6.00  | 26 ft. or greater – $12.00

Click here for printable schedule & lock procedures

Visit the Fox River Navigational System Authority online for more information.

The Parkway at Canoecopia – This Week

Please join us at the largest paddlesports consumer event in the world, Canoecopia!

Canoecopia 2013
March 8 – 10
Alliant Energy Center
Madison, Wisconsin

The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway will once again be present for this fun event. Find us at booth number 1 all weekend. Come visit us to learn more about the Fox-Wisconsin Water Trail and our effort to obtain National Water Trail designation, our plan to create overnight vacation rentals for paddlers throughout the Parkway system, the 2013 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle and more!

Enter to win free registration to the 2013 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle. Hope to see you in Madison next weekend!

Parkway to Host Seven Public Open Houses to Unveil Key Findings of Recently Completed Plan

Appleton, WI– The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway is excited to provide updates on key initiatives originally introduced during a series of public listening sessions one year ago. A comprehensive Interpretive Master Plan has been recently completed, and results will be shared at seven public open houses in order to solicit feedback.

The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway, a 280 mile historic waterway in Wisconsin comprised of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers will connect and promote the natural, recreational and historic resources within the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers’ corridor and create additional opportunities for interpretation, education, recreation, and tourism. We honor and celebrate the heritage of our rivers.

“We have worked extensively with communities and river heritage enthusiasts along the length of the corridor” commented Candice Mortara, board President of the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway. “Listening to what is important to each village and town was the foundation for our planning. We are pleased to share our results and eager to hear your reaction. Putting the plan into action will be dependent on buy-in and partnership. The Parkway is here to help communities and heritage sites thrive. Our focus is what is best for our partners.”

Projects that will be discussed will include: water trail development, ADA accessible canoe/kayak landings, lock house repurposing, itinerary building, kiosk and anchor site display units, corridor wide marketing and promotion, and heritage site collaboration.

Another key component of the Parkway’s successes involves fundraising. Individuals, communities and corporations can engage and invest in these worthwhile programs that will drive economic development through increased capital investments and tourism promotion. The Adopt-A-River-Mile program allows anyone to care for a portion of the river system—similar to the program involving highways.

“The Parkway will help to preserve our heritage, increase heritage and recreational tourism to sites within the 280 mile Parkway, create awareness of this region’s contributions to Wisconsin and United States’ history, tell compelling stories through partnerships, and continue to revitalize the waterway as an economic, environmental and recreational resource.” stated Mortara.

“Heritage tourists spend on average $994 per trip and 118 million tourists participate in cultural and heritage activities while traveling annually. From a purely economic perspective, tourism is one of the top three industries in the State of Wisconsin.” Mortara expounded further, “In addition to marketing all of the communities, attractions and activities the river system offers visitors, we plan to continue to educate and advocate for the tangible economic impact that visitor spending has on the entire region.”

Read the plan online & provide your feedback

Sign up to attend an upcoming Community Input Session

Love your River: Community Input Sessions

You’re invited to join us at an upcoming Community Input Session to review the findings of our recently completed Interpretive Master Plan and provide feedback.

The sessions will unveil key initiatives developed as a result of the input gathered over the last year and a half of the planning process. We will gather your feedback on the plan and discuss possible community projects, including water trail development, overnight lodging opportunities, corridor-wide marketing and promotion, kiosk and anchor site installation, and more.

Click on the event below to RSVP:

Prairie du Chien
Saturday, February 23, 10:00 am
Huckleberry’s Restaurant
1906 S. Marquette Road

Spring Green
Saturday, February 23, 3:00 pm
Trader’s Bar & Grill
6147 US Highway 14

Merrimac
Sunday, February 24, 2:00 pm
Merrimac Village Hall
100 Cook Street

Montello
Monday, February 25, 6:00 pm
Montello City Hall
20 Underwood Avenue

Fond du Lac
Tuesday, February 26, 5:30 pm
Fond du Lac Public Library
32 Sheboygan Street

Oshkosh
Wednesday, February 27, 6:00 pm
UW-Extension, James P. Coughlin Center
625 County Road Y

Green Bay
Thursday, February 28, 6:00 pm
Neville Public Library
210 Museum Place

Light snacks provided.

Information gathered through these public input sessions will help us determine what services can be supported by local communities within the Parkway to enhance economic development and tourism-related opportunities.

Interpretive Master Plan

Released in January, the Interpretive Master Plan provides a comprehensive overview of the resources, stories and landscapes found throughout the Parkway, and provides strategies to unify them and recommends appropriate actions to better interpret and utilize these resources. This is one in a series of plans that will serve as the foundational documents for the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway.

Click here to read the plan now and provide feedback online.

Our Approach

The Parkway is taking an innovative approach to conservation. This approach, designed by the National Park Service, connects citizens, local businesses and groups to the preservation process, giving each community the tools and resources they need to shape the long-term futures of their distinct region.

Please contact Candice Mortara, FWHP President at mortara@heritageparkway.org or (920) 707-2965 with any questions.

Locktender House Lodging Project

The Parkway is continuing work to restore and transform the historic locktender houses into overnight vacation rentals along the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway.

Update!

The Parkway has recently made headway in the renovations needed to turn the locktender houses into overnight lodgings. The first purchase is 42 doors from a 1920′s dormitory that was part of a teachers college in Union Grove Wisconsin. These doors will now be present at each house, ushering people to step into the history that each house holds. Have you ever wanted to have a reason to use a skeleton key? Well now you will have one, each door will be equipped with locks to fit these unique keys. Along with the doors the Parkway has also acquired four claw foot tubs, 6 sinks, and push button light switches. All of the items will help to set the tone for these one of a kind pieces of history.

Project

Based on similar historic lodging programs, such as Canal Quarters along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, this system of homes along the Fox-Wisconsin Water Trail would provide recreationalists the unique opportunity to stay right on the water as they make their way through the river system. The Parkway has been working closely with Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) and Friends of the Fox on this project since 2012.

With significant renovation and updates to the houses, many of which have remained vacant since the mid twentieth century, planners envision a series of “upgraded hostels” that would appeal to boaters, paddlers or bicyclists. The locktenders homes would accommodate individuals as well as families, with the potential option of renters even operating the nearby locks for the length of their stay if they desired.

Eight locktender houses exist along the system—four on the Lower Fox, two on the Upper Fox and two on the Lower Wisconsin. The hope is to have all houses available for rental, with renovation beginning at the Cedars lockhouse on the Lower Fox, located in Little Chute.

FRNSA commissioned a study of adaptive reuse of the De Pere Fox River Lock. Completed in 2011, the plan details potential renovation plans that could be adapted for the other homes, which are similar in construction.

This project coincides with several efforts to restore and enhance the Fox-Wisconsin river system. Since 2005, FRNSA has worked to rebuild and operate the Fox River lock system. Eight locks are now in operation, in De Pere, Little Chute, Appleton and Menasha. FRNSA has scheduled rebuilding for the Kaukauna Locks in 2013 -2014. In addition, the Eureka Lock on the Upper Fox was restored by the Berlin Boat Club and reopened in 2012.

The Parkway and Friends of the Fox have partnered to develop the Fox-Wisconsin Water Trail, a non-contiguous water trail that will stretch the entire length of the Heritage Parkway and provide greater recreational access to the rivers. In 2009, these groups began inserting portages for through the locks.

In 2012, the Water Trail Committee made significant strides toward formalizing the water trail by applying for designation as a National Water Trail through the National Park Service. This designation would help build resources and recognition of the Parkway region.

The Parkway organization is currently seeking volunteers to assist with the renovation of the first lockhouse, as well as the many other projects currently underway throughout the Parkway region. Please contact Candice Mortara, FWHP President, to indicate your interest or to learn more: mortara@heritageparkway.org or (920) 707-2965.

2012 Heritage Paddle Wrap-Up

On September 29, the Parkway wrapped up the 2012 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle with the Appleton Locks Paddle. This autumn paddle routed through downtown Appleton, from Lutz Park through all four Appleton locks, downriver to Sunset Park in Kimberly. More than 180 paddlers in 147 boats enjoyed the great weather a beautiful fall colors along the river.

View online photo album of the event.

In its third year, the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle continues to grow, with hundreds of paddlers participating from across the state. The paddle combines recreation and history, enabling participants to experience the Heritage Parkway from it’s very core—the Fox and Wisconsin rivers—just as native peoples and explorers had centuries ago.

The paddle took place over six weekends from May to September and featured nine days of paddling. Paddles took place on both the Lower Wisconsin and Fox and highlighted various stories, figures and landscapes, including trips through the Fox River Locks; to the home of conservationist, Aldo Leopold; and Appleton’s heritage festival, Octoberfest.

While the paddling season just ended, we’re already looking to plan the 2013 Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Paddle. Contact us if you are interested in assisting with next year’s paddle or would like information about sponsoring an upcoming paddling event at office@heritageparkway.org.