One of the perks of my job is that our building overlooks the Erie Canal. So I get to enjoy watching boats navigating the locks all summer. Looks like they're finally filling it back up for the year.
Yeah - they were actually working on the water main this morning. They filled the canal this week, but it took a lot more water than that! I think they use the St Lawrence river to control the water level.
We rented a canal boat and took a week cruise on the canal and up to the finger lakes a few years ago. It is quite the different pace for a vacation. It was pretty cool going through some of those locks, especially the double 50' ones at Seneca falls. The canal is all downhill from Lake Erie to the Oswego river at Syracuse so the water you are seeing comes from Lake Erie or rivers to the west of you.
I thought you were talking about the canal by me. Then I remembered its the Ohio Erie Canal. Ours isn't near big enough to boat in. Plus the national park wouldn't let you anyway.
Some Erie Canal cruise photos Locks at Senaca Falls, double 50' Half way up. As I recall they flush more water down the river each time these locks are opened that you will flush in the toilet in your entire life. Boat tied up under the lock in Waterloo. The Lock Master said we could camp there. There was good some good fishing.
My favorite bar from my college days in Brockpprt had a table that was about 10 feet from the Canal. Spent many enjoyable hours watching the Canal!
Hey. I didn't say you could take water from my river for your canal. What do I get out of this deal? Let's talk about the quality firewood you will be offering me for any future water, starting....now.
Nah, just a minor diversion. All the water that leaves the Saint Laurence and The Great Lakes basin in Lake Erie flows back in to Lake Ontario via the Genesse and/or every other river that crosses the Erie up to the Oswego. It really is quite a cool piece of engineering. Its the water coming out of southern Adirondacks that gets stored and moved about. They need store and dump in enough water at the high point between Oswego/Saint Laurence and the Mowhawk/Hudson rivers basin to keep the canal flowing in both directions all summer long, and every time they open those locks out goes a load of water. (But its only for pleasure boats now. There is no commercial traffic on it).
