Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University
of Wisconsin - Green Bay
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The Portage Canal was dug to connect the Fox River with the Wisconsin River and thereby provide a connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. In the maps below the Wisconsin River is highlighted in light green and the Fox River in light blue.
The canal (shown below in light blue) was an easy short dig over flat terrain and in soft material. It was the Fox River that doomed the project. The upper Fox River is just too shallow and winding for traffic.
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Portage gets its name because, long before the canal was here, it was a well known portage for traders. Below are views of the Wisconsin River where State Highway 33 crosses the river. |
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The canal actually ends now at a culvert through the levee on the
Wisconsin River. At left is a view looking up the canal at the lock Below are views of the lock gates that handled the small elevation difference between the canal and the Wisconsin River. |
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View of the Wisconsin River from the levee. |
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Left and below: views of the canal in the city of Portage |
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A segment of the Ice Age Trail runs along the canal. North of Highway 33, a rustic road parallels the canal for a kilometer or so. Views of the canal are at left and below. |
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The canal joins the Fox River at the left edge of the picture. The mound on the opposite side was probably built for a bridge over the Fox River, which is visible through the trees beyond the far bank. |
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Near the end of the road is the 1832 Indian Agency House. |
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Beyond the road, the Ice Age Trail follows the upper Fox River. |
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Left: the Fox River connects with the canal just right of the large tree on the opposite bank |
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Looking southwest along the canal toward Portage Below: remains of one of the wooden locks. Gate locks are designed to form a V pointing upstream so the pressure of the water creates a tighter seal. |
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There are no really good places to see the confluence of the canal and the Fox River. The bank near the trailhead on the west side of the canal is about the best. Here the canal is in the foreground and the Fox River flows across the picture from right to left. |
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Upper Fox River upstream from the canal. |
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View from the east side of the canal. Fox River in the foreground with the canal leading off to the left. |
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The bridge across the canal is built over the remains of a lock. |
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Created 15 June 2004, Last Update 26 Aug 2005
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