Erie Canal

Erie Canal
Tugboat at Lock E33 in Rochester
Current route of the Erie Canal
Location	Upstate New York
Country	United States
Specifications
Length	351 miles (565 km) (originally 363 mi or 584 km)
Lock length	328 ft (100 m) (originally 90 ft or 27 m)
Lock width	45 ft (14 m) (originally 15 ft or 4.6 m)
Maximum boat draft	12 ft (3.7 m)
Locks	36[1][self-published source?]
Maximum height above sea level	571 ft (174 m)
Status	Open
Navigation authority	New York State Canal Corporation
History
Original owner	New York State
Principal engineer	Benjamin Wright
Other engineer(s)	Canvass White, Amos Eaton
Construction began	July 4, 1817; 206 years ago (1817-07-04) (at Rome, New York)
Date of first use	May 17, 1821; 202 years ago (1821-05-17)
Date completed	October 26, 1825; 198 years ago (1825-10-26)
Date restored	September 3, 1999; 24 years ago (1999-09-03)
Geography
Start point	Hudson River near Albany, New York
End point	Niagara River near Buffalo, New York
Beginning coordinates	42°47′00″N 73°40′36″W / 42.7834°N 73.6767°W / 42.7834; -73.6767
Ending coordinates	43°01′25″N 78°53′24″W / 43.0237°N 78.8901°W / 43.0237; -78.8901
Branch(es)	Oswego Canal, Cayuga–Seneca Canal
Branch of	New York State Canal System
Connects to	Champlain Canal, Welland Canal
Route map Legend Hudson River to New York Bay Troy Federal Lock Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain E2 Waterford E3 Waterford E4 Waterford E5 Waterford E6 Crescent GG1 Crescent GG2 Crescent E7 Vischer Ferry E8 Scotia E9 Rotterdam E10 Cranesville E11 Amsterdam E12 Tribes Hill E13 Yosts E14 Canajoharie E15 Fort Plain E16 St. Johnsville GG3 Indian Castle E17 Little Falls GG4 Little Falls E18 Jacksonburg GG5 Herkimer E19 Frankfort E20 Whitesboro GG6 Rome GG7 Rome E21 New London E22 New London Oneida Lake E23 Brewton Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario Onondaga Lake E24 Baldwinsville Cross Lake Cayuga–Seneca Canal to Cayuga Lake & Seneca Lake E25 Mays Point E26 Clyde E27 Lyons E28A Lyons E28B Newark E29 Palmyra E30 Macedon GG9 Bushnell's Basin GG10 Cartersville E32 Pittsford E33 Rochester East Guard Lock Genesee River West Guard Lock GG11 Spencerport GG12 Brockport GG13 Holley GG14 Albion GG15 Medina GG16 Middleport GG17 Gasport E34 Lockport E35 Lockport GG18 Pendleton Niagara River Black Rock Lock Lake Erie Welland Canal to Lake Ontario GG = Guard Gate This diagram: view talk edit

The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing the costs of transporting people and goods across the Appalachians. In effect, the canal accelerated the settlement of the Great Lakes region, the westward expansion of the United States, and the economic ascendancy of New York State. It has been called "The Nation's First Superhighway."^[2]

A canal from the Hudson to the Great Lakes was first proposed in the 1780s, but a formal survey was not conducted until 1808. The New York State Legislature authorized construction in 1817. Political opponents of the canal, and of its lead supporter New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, denigrated the project as "Clinton's Folly" and "Clinton's Big Ditch". Nonetheless, the canal saw quick success upon opening on October 26, 1825, with toll revenue covering the state's construction debt within the first year of operation. The westward connection gave New York City a strong advantage over all other U.S. ports and brought major growth to canal cities such as Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo.

The construction of the Erie Canal was a landmark civil engineering achievement in the early history of the United States. When built, the 363-mile (584 km) canal was the second-longest in the world (after the Grand Canal in China). Initially 40 feet (12 m) wide and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, the canal was expanded several times, most notably from 1905 to 1918 when the "Barge Canal" was built and over half the original route was abandoned. The modern Barge Canal measures 351 miles (565 km) long, 120 feet (37 m) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep. It has 34 locks, including the Waterford Flight, the steepest locks in the United States. When leaving the canal, boats must also traverse the Black Rock Lock to reach Lake Erie or the Troy Federal Lock to reach the tidal Hudson. The overall elevation difference is about 565 feet (172 m).

The Erie's peak year was 1855, when 33,000 commercial shipments took place. It continued to be competitive with railroads until about 1902, when tolls were abolished. Commercial traffic declined heavily in the latter half of the 20th century due to competition from trucking and the 1959 opening of the larger St. Lawrence Seaway. The canal's last regularly scheduled hauler, the Day Peckinpaugh, ended service in 1994.

Today, the Erie Canal is mainly used by recreational watercraft. It connects the three other canals in the New York State Canal System: the Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga–Seneca. Some long-distance boaters take the Erie as part of the Great Loop. The canal has also become a tourist attraction in its own right—a number of parks and museums are dedicated to its history. The New York State Canalway Trail is a popular cycling path that follows the canal across the state. In 2000, Congress designated the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor to protect and promote the system.