Lock No. 1 along the Fox River in Kaukauna. Kaukauna Community News photo by Dan Plutchak

GREEN BAY — A locally produced documentary on the Fox River is set to make its television premiere Thursday on local PBS Wisconsin stations.

“The Power of the River” by Daniel Larson will air at 8 p.m. Thursday on Green Bay’s WPNE-TV.

It will be the first chance for a statewide audience to see the film since it debuted with local screenings, including last September at the 1000 Islands Nature Conservancy.

The documentary takes viewers on a historical journey that begins with the melting of the last glacier and ends with a group of energetic kayakers transiting the De Pere Lock.

The Lower Fox River basin is a familiar 39-mile stretch of river for boaters and fishermen, as well as an electrical power source for homes and industry.

The river includes 17 locks and is a magnet for fish and wildlife.

A recently completed one-billion-dollar cleanup has done much to return this treasured resource closer to its former splendor.

“The Power of the River” was produced over a six-year period and includes interviews with cultural and historical experts to weave their stories into a visual tapestry that brings the Fox River to life.

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By Dan Plutchak

Dan Plutchak, born and raised in Kaukauna, is cofounder of Kaukauna Community News.