Raging Canal

Erie Canal Greenway plan announced; new Canal Corp. director

2005-05-27T05:18:00.000-07:00

In rather significant news for the NY State Canal System, a new Canal Corp. director has been named -- Troy's Carmella Mantello -- and the Pataki administration is promising to develop the Erie Canal corridor as a greenway, to hook up with other designated greenways in the state. What is a greenway? "A greenway is generally defined as a corridor that preserves natural landscapes and historical spots and offers recreation, often along a waterway."

Hm. This seems to me to be mainly a splashy announcement enabling the Canal Corp. to save face. What do we really get out of it? Another task force, of course.

Middle section opens tomorrow

2005-05-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

The remaining closed parts of the middle section of the Erie Canal will open tomorrow, finally getting the whole system open for the season. The Oswego Canal was able to open on Saturday.

Bad news, good news

2005-05-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Water levels on the Seneca River are still up, but receding. The Syracuse Post-Standard has an update on the anticipated opening of the middle section. Meanwhile there's also a story on canal prep, annual traffic, and how commercial use of the canal has increased somewhat over the past few years. The Utica Observer-Dispatch also has a canal opening story.

Wisconsin schooner travels the canal

2005-05-06T04:53:00.000-07:00

Rather daredevil of them considering the the nagging high water problems for the canal's opening, but the Denis Sullivan, a Great Lakes schooner and goodwill ambassador for the state of Wisconsin, is making its way back home to Milwaukee via the Erie and Oswego canals. It was in Little Falls on Wednesday and made it to Sylvan Beach on Thursday.

Middle section won't open on May 1

2005-04-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Not again?!? Due to high water, all canals in Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego and Madison counties will not open with the rest of the system on Sunday. Wow, this sucks big time, especially for the businesses that were hit by last year's flooding.

Barge Canal centennial

2005-04-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Rather unnoticed by the media was this past weekend's centennial commemoration of the construction of the New York State Barge Canal -- or, the modern-day Erie Canal. The project began on April 23, 1905 and wasn't completed until 1918.

To ATV or not to ATV?

2005-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

One of the wildest and woolliest undeveloped sections of the Canalway Trail, between Jordan and Port Byron in Cayuga County (actually, the trail is pretty woolly from Camillus to Jordan as well), is undergoing discussion about its development. It's unclear from this Auburn Citizen article whether the trail will be on the old towpath, or actually on the shoulder of Route 31 (which would suck incredibly hard). But from the ATV discussion, I suppose it must be off-road.

But ATVs on the Old Erie? Do they allow this elsewhere? I've never heard of it. Way to kill the ambiance, folks. Rrrrrvrrrrm rrrrvvrrrm rrvvrrrm SPLASH! (Oh, and drunken ATV'ers should be lotsa laffs around Lock 51 as well.)

Oh buoy!

2005-04-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Howard Ohlhous at NYCanals.com shares photos of a buoy boat readying the canal for the Sunday opening of the full Canal's 181st season of fine boating.

How do they know where to precisely drop the buoys so they match up to the chart? Speculation continues...

Canal Corp boys with their buoy toys. Photo by Howard Ohlhous.

Rochester's Broad Street tunnel to be filled in

2005-04-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Rochester D&C reports this morning that city officials have decided to go ahead with filling in the old Broad Street subway tunnel, which was also once the bed of the Erie Canal in the city. Historians, especially canal fans, are dismayed by the decision. Read more about the tunnel, its history, and its spooky appeal to urban explorers.

Broad Street Tunnel: doomed.

Pendleton canal break repair expected

2005-04-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

A communique from the Canal Corp. notes that the serious canal break at Pendleton is not expected to delay the canal's May 1 opening date in the western section.

Brockport readies new Welcome Center

2005-04-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Brockport's new canalside Welcome Center is due for completion by the end of this month, with a grand opening date to be announced soon. This facility will serve boaters, hikers and cyclists.

Stop, you crazy kids

2005-04-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Post-Standard also reports that people on motorbikes are tearing up Jordan's Erie Canal park (which is actually just the old canal bed with grass and flowers planted). Town board recommendation: Bigger, meaner signs.

Jordan Erie Canal Park, prior to recent reign of knobby-wheeled terror.

Camillus aqueduct project still proceeding

2005-04-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

From the Syracuse Post-Standard comes the latest on the Camillus Aqueduct project. Town officials have been quietly fundraising behind the scenes to continue with the restoration. Bids for the project came in much too high last year, from $2 to $3 million; the town had secured only $1.2 million. It is estimated that $500,000 more is needed (to bring the project in at an estimated $1.7 million). The town seems hopeful that work might start by the end of summer, but more realistically, it would be spring 2006.

Meanwhile, the Camillus Erie Canal Park gears up for another season.

Waiting for funds.

Should the Thruway Authority get out of the canal biz?

2005-04-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

An item in the Buffalo News about the proposed Thruway toll hike quotes annoyed citizens as speculating that maybe the Thruway Authority ought to get out of the canal business.

I have mixed feelings about this. Certainly the Canal Corp. has shown itself to be fairly incompetent when it comes to developing the canal. On the other hand, the canal might have been lost/destroyed in the late 70s or mid 80s if the Thruway Authority had not taken over. In many ways the Thruway Authority's control of the canal is a sign that the state has still not been able to let go and consign a huge chunk of New York's history to the past. There's just a disconnect between the stated desire to develop the Canal as a tourist attraction, and its oversight by a modern-day transportation authority. Perhaps it is time for the blue and yellow colors to go and be replaced by the brown of the state or national park system.

Greece-Pittsford canal trailway gets facelift

2005-04-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Canal Corp. has announced renovations to the popular Canalway trail segment between Greece and Pittsford in Monroe County. Unfortunately, that means it's "construction season" on that part of the trail for most of 2005.

Major canal breaks reported

2005-04-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

The heavy rains and flooding in upstate New York have taken a toll on the Erie Canal's banks over the past week. The worst break has occurred at Pendleton near North Tonawanda, a massive cave-in of the embankment which has claimed several trees and is threatening the canal's May 1 opening date. This photo (by John at NYCanal.com) shows trees and debris that have fallen into the canal from the collapsed bank. The Army Corps of Engineers are reported to have gotten involved in the repair effort.

Another, less serious fifty-foot break occurred last week in Murray in Orleans County, when pooled water outside of the canal forced its way into and over the bank, flooding the empty canal. Estimated repair cost: $20,000.

What a mess. And I hear the water is still way high in Baldwinsville where the Seneca River just crested last Thursday.

A crib at Lock 13

2005-04-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

Over at NYCanals.com, Howard Ohlhous shares this photo of a nasty-looking object called a crib which is supposed to keep debris from causing trouble during high water periods.

Dredging called for in North Tonawanda

2005-04-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Tonawanda News reports an urgent need for dredging of the Canal bed in North Tonawanda.

Unless the depth of the waterway along the shores on both sides of the canal is increased, a process called dredging, larger vessels risk taking dirt and mud into the boat’s engine, causing major damage. There is currently about two feet of water at the shallowest point along the shores, near the Webster Street bridge, according to commission member Kurt Alverson. For a large boat to safely pass through the area, the depth needs to be about four feet.

It looks like money may be forthcoming from the state for this project.

Another Bernstein review

2005-04-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yet another review of Peter Bernstein's Wedding of the Waters, this time in Slate. An excerpt:

Today, what's left of the Erie Canal meanders—largely unused—through an upstate New York that has been bypassed by the last several economic booms. Its economic utility seems so minute that the development rights to the canal's shore were sold to a politically connected developer for a mere $30,000. A sad fate for the creation that French economist Michael Chevalier in 1835 described as: "simple as a work of art, prodigious as an economic artery."

Flooding in Waterford

2005-03-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Canal is reported today to be in spring flooding at Waterford and getting close to the Visitor's Center there.

Wayne County meh on Lyons canal center proposal

2005-03-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Finger Lakes Times looks at the town of Lyons' struggling attempts to build some sort of Erie Canal visitors' center. The Wayne County Board of Supervisors will be making a decision soon, and enthusiasm for the project isn't running too high, it seems.

Wayne County is chock full of Old Erie ruins as well as Barge Canal history; if history is your sort of thing, it's a nice place to go and explore. However, when I was there last summer I didn't sense a lot of coordination along Route 31 on creating tourist attractions, and my impression is confirmed by this article. A lot is being done at Macedon Canal Park, but little elsewhere. There really should be a historical trail in Wayne County, with signage along Route 31. Onondaga County also does not get involved in canal stuff, but the towns here are prosperous enough to take care of that on their own. Places like Lyons and Clyde, however, need help.

Lawsuit filed over Canal spill

2005-03-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

The Rochester D&C reports that Buckeye Pipeline, whose 30,000 gallons of fuel leaked into the Erie Canal last December, is suing a local businessman who owned the land where Buckeye's pipeline was damaged by a backhoe.

The landowner did not report the spill to Buckeye or to the state, possibly violating state law and making the spill more severe than it otherwise might have been.

State to reassess canal development

2005-03-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

The canal doesn't open for another 2 months, so news is few and far between. Here's a pretty big item: the Canal Corp. has put the brakes on all development proposals, as a response to the "Eriegate" mini-scandal where the Pataki Administration tried to sell development rights along the entire canal for a mere $30,000.

Wedding of the Waters review

2005-03-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

The New York Post has a terrific review of Peter Bernstein's Wedding of the Waters this morning.

Lockport locks restoration gets $3.25 million

2005-03-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

This is pretty big news when it comes to the Old Erie: the flight of five original locks at Lockport has snagged $3.25 million in federal money for restoration. Apparently they plan to restore them to working order, although one wonders how small the boats will have to be in order to go through. Maybe they can lock canoers through. The Lockport locks were probably the biggest wonder on the old canal and this should give the town's tourism a major boost. Heck, people go to Lockport just to see the modern double lock.

Camillus Aqueduct restoration in limbo

2005-03-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

As reported in the Syracuse Post-Standard, the planned restoration of the Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct over the old Erie in Camillus is still on hold. According to the Camillus Erie Canal Park's David Beebe, a new call for bids on the work has not yet been made, and they're currently reassessing the project with the State Historic Preservation Office. It sounds as if they may be opting for a more piece-by-piece approach to this ambitious project - New York's only fully restorable old canal aqueduct.

Hopefully they'll work something out by summer. It was a huge disappointment to the town when the bids came in so high last year.

Oil spill investigation continues

2005-03-03T05:07:00.000-08:00

The Rochester D&C has an article today about the ongoing investigation into the Buckeye Pipeline oil spill into the Erie Canal at Gates last year. This is the one with the 20-mile oil slick, not the one with the damaged residential properties. The spill has apparently been cleaned up, with reportedly little groundwater damage. But this is the second time Buckeye has spilled crap into the Rochester area (last time, it was gas); hopefully the penalty will be more severe this time.

Relocation sought for historic Coit House in Buffalo

2005-02-25T04:57:00.000-08:00

Assemblyman Sam Hoyt (D-Buffalo) is seeking Albany's support for the purchase and moving of the historic George Coit House, the oldest structure in Buffalo, built in 1813. Coit was a major proponent of the original Erie Canal construction, and Hoyt thinks the house would work great as a gift shop in the city's restored Canal District. This would be the second time the house has been moved.

Canal officials dodge punishment

2005-02-25T04:52:00.000-08:00

Today's New York Times details how many state officials, including the Canal Corp. appointees involved in the questionable $30,000 Erie Canal waterfront deal, are able to escape punishment for ethical lapses or misconduct due to loopholes in the law.

Man killed working on Belgium Bridge

2005-02-25T04:46:00.000-08:00

A 43-year-old workman working on the new Erie Canal bridge on Jack's Reef in northern Onondaga County was killed yesterday morning when a temporary platform collapsed and fell into the water. They were working on the Belgium Bridge. Lordy, haven't they finished that yet? It seems to me that that bridge has been closed forever. Eventually this bridge is going to replace the little one-lane bridge that has been in use on Jack's Reef for many years. The Post-Standard has more about what happened. More details on the construction project are here.

Dispute over old Champlain Canal

2005-02-21T05:03:00.000-08:00

The town of Halfmoon is going to grab a mile and a half of the old Champlain Canal from the city of Mechanicville using eminent domain because they can't agree on a selling price. What Halfmoon wants is the old canal's towpath, to use for a convenient route for a new water main. Still useful after all these years.

Curling on the Canal

2005-02-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

The Rochester D&C has a story today on the Rochester Curling Club holding a public curling event on the Erie at Palmyra. I'm very surprised they had strong enough ice to do this - it just hasn't been that cold of a winter. I wonder if this is on a drained section of the canal that has just a little water in it.

Commentary from across the pond

2005-02-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

Granny Buttons is the blog of an English canaller who comments on Peter Bernstein's new Erie Canal book and on his experiences on the canal in Rochester several years ago.

German Flatts canal trail development

2005-02-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

A new wheelchair-accessible trail segment along the Erie is in the making in the Mohawk area in Herkimer County. This project is expected to cost about $500,000 and the work is now going up for bid. Here's more information on this particular project.

Jordan plans summer Canal Day

2005-02-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

The village of Jordan is planning a kids-oriented Canal Day this summer, probably on July 16, according to the Post-Standard.

I'm not sure how this is different from the Canal Days they seem to hold every year, although the story seems to imply that this is an exciting new idea for them. The last time I went to their Canal Day, it was pleasant, with craft tents in the canal, but very low-key. And it rained. And we got stopped for having a broken tail light. Oh well. I'll probably go back this year too. It's a nice place for events.

Federal money for Brighton

2005-02-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Rochester D&C reports that a $150,000 federal Land and Water Conservation grant has gone to the town of Brighton to create an extension to Meridian Center Park, which will connect the park with the existing Erie Canal trail in the area.

Summer 2004 photographs

2005-02-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

I've posted some more pictures from our summer 2004 canal-related wanderings in Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties. A little bit of everything - Clinton's Ditch photos, Old Erie and the locks at Baldwinsville and Lyons.

Tugboat "Buffalo" to be restored

2005-02-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

News from the Canal Corp: the historic tugboat Buffalo is to be restored at Waterford.

You can see a photo of Buffalo (scroll down) at the Waterford Tugboat Roundup site.

Erie Canal Expressway?

2005-02-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Rochester D&C reports that plans to rename a stretch of Interstate 490 in honor of the Erie Canal are under discussion.

If we want to get nitpicky, there already is an Erie Canal Expressway - it's called the Thruway - but this would make it official.

Camillus Erie Canal Park 2005 dates

2005-02-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Camillus Erie Canal Park's winter newsletter is out, along with announced dates for 2005 tours and events.

Erie Thoughts

2005-02-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Someone has started what looks like a potentially nice Erie Canal portal called Erie Thoughts. Just a lot of links right now, but maybe they'll do something more with it.

The Old Erie Canal in Wayne County

2004-07-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

A slideshow is available of a trip to Wayne County to investigate old portions of the original 1825 Erie Canal, the Poorhouse Lock, Lock 60, and the Mud Creek Aqueduct and bridge restoration in Macedon.

Spencerport lift bridge to undergo repairs

2004-07-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

The lift bridge over the Erie at Spencerport, last repaired in 1974, will be closed from July 26 through Aug. 6 to undergo repairs. Traffic on the Canal will not be affected.

Historic Brockport building to be repaired

2004-06-24T04:50:00.000-07:00

The Greater Brockport Development Corp. has received a $200,000 grant from the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation to buy and make repairs to a circa-1840 building that formerly looked over an Erie Canal boatyard. The building is considered a key piece of Canal history in Brockport.

Tug houseboat traverses the Erie

2004-06-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

A Michigan family who bought an old tug in New York City has arrived in Holland, Mich. after traveling through the Erie Canal. This spring's high waters on the Canal caused them some problems.

The "Black Snake" today

2004-06-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a slideshow of a successful trip in search of remnants of the original Erie Canal's "Black Snake" section, which was dug around 1819 and abandoned in 1855 with the straightening of the improved canal. The "Black Snake" lies just north of New London.

Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway receives grant

2004-06-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway has received a $250,000 grant . Some of the money will be spent to purchase an old bank in Halfmoon for use as a visitors' center, and new signage for the byway.

Settlement reached in Rochester gasoline spill

2004-06-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

A final settlement over a 2003 gasoline leak into the Erie Canal and a nearby Rochester neighborhood has been reached by Buckeye Pipeline Co. and local residents. The 50,000-gallon spill contaminated 14 homes and cleanup efforts are ongoing.

FOCUS on Central New York waterways

2004-06-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

FOCUS Greater Syracuse, a volunteer organization, has decided to brainstorm project ideas for Central New York's waterways, including the Erie Canal. Some speculate that building water access to the State Fairgrounds via Onondaga Lake and the Canal would be a worthwhile project.

Clinton's Ditch at Weedsport

2004-06-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a trip report and photos of a successful search for a portion of the abandoned 1825 Erie Canal just west of Weedsport. The segment is located near to the Centerport Aqueduct park, where the Improved Canal deviates from the old canal.

Erie reopens between B'ville and Cayuga-Seneca Canal

2004-06-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Erie between Baldwinsville's Lock 24 and Lock 25, and the Cayuga-Seneca canal, has re-opened after several weeks of closure due to high water. A no-wake zone remains in effect. Most of the sections of the New York canals which were closed since mid-May due to flooding from storms have also re-opened. See NYSCA's Notices to Mariners for more.

New Zealander cycles America by way of the Erie

2004-06-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Finger Lakes Times reports on Garth Christensen of Wellington, New Zealand, who is biking across America and recently passed through the town of Clyde.

Pittsford Regatta this weekend

2004-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Pittsford Regatta is taking place this weekend on the Erie, in conjunction with the annual Positively Pittsford street festival.

Welcome to the ErieBlog

2004-06-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

This blog is for all things relating to the Erie Canal and the New York State Canal System - past, present and future. Canal archaeology, restoration and development news, canal navigation stuff, activities along the Canal are all fair game here. Enjoy.

Cities & Towns: Municipal Links

2004-06-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

ERIE CANAL

Waterford
Albany
Schenectady
Scotia
Amsterdam
Fort Johnson
Fonda
Canajoharie
Fort Plain
St. Johnsville
Little Falls
Herkimer
Mohawk
Ilion
Frankfort
Utica
Rome
Verona
Oneida Lake Communities: Brewerton, Constantia, Bernhards Bay, Sylvan Beach
Syracuse
Baldwinsville
Clyde
Lyons
Newark
Port Gibson
Palmyra
Macedon
Wayneport
Fairport
Pittsford
Rochester
Spencerport
Brockport
Holley
Albion
Medina
Middleport
Gasport
Lockport
Pendleton
North Tonawanda
Tonawanda
Buffalo

OLD ERIE CANAL

OSWEGO CANAL

Oswego
Minetto
Fulton
Phoenix