New York State Canal System
A historic New York canal network now used for recreation.
The New York State Canal System, originally called the New York State Barge Canal, took over from the Erie Canal and other state canals. It stretches 525 miles and includes four canals: the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga–Seneca, and Champlain. The Erie links the Hudson River to Lake Erie; the Cayuga–Seneca ties Seneca and Cayuga Lakes to the Erie; the Oswego connects the Erie to Lake Ontario; and the Champlain joins the Hudson River with Lake Champlain. The whole system was named a national historic district in 2014 and a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
The state legislature authorized the Barge Canal in 1903 as an upgrade to the existing Erie, Oswego, Champlain, and Cayuga–Seneca Canals. Construction started in 1905 and finished in 1918, costing $96.7 million. It opened for through traffic on May 15, 1918. The new route followed rivers like the Mohawk, Oswego, Seneca, Genesee, and Clyde—which the original Erie Canal had avoided—bypassing cities such as Syracuse and Rochester. In western New York, though, it reused and widened the original Erie channel. In 1924, the Barge Canal built the Gowanus Bay Terminal in Brooklyn for cargo.
Starting in the 1970s, the state stopped modernizing the system because trucking took over. The canal is now kept up mainly for history and recreation. Few commercial vessels use it; most traffic is private pleasure boats, though it also helps with flood control. The last regular commercial ship, the Day Peckinpaugh, stopped running in 1994. Since 1992, the name "Barge Canal" has been dropped, and the individual canals go by their original names. Today, the canals are 12 feet deep and 120 feet wide, with 57 electric locks, and can handle vessels up to 2,000 tons. Navigation runs roughly from May 1 to November 15, and motorized boats need a paid permit to use locks and lift bridges.
In 2004, the Canal Corporation reported 122,034 recreational lockings, plus 8,514 tour boat and 7,369 hire boat lockings. About 12,182 tons of cargo worth roughly $102 million moved through the system that year. By 2012, annual cargo reached 42,000 tons. Flooding in late June and early July 2006, especially in the Mohawk River valley, caused at least $15 million in damage. In 2011, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton to run the Canal Corporation. Tropical Storm Irene closed nearly the whole canal in late August 2011, and Tropical Storm Lee added more flooding in early September. Damage shut the canal from Lock 8 in Scotia to Lock 17 in Little Falls, but it fully reopened for the 2012 season. Over 200,000 tons of cargo were expected in 2017, the highest volume since 1993.
The New York State Canal Corporation oversees the system. In 2012, it was a subsidiary of the Thruway Authority, with 529 employees—458 full-time and 78 seasonal. Its spending was about 10 percent of the Thruway Authority’s $1.1 billion annual budget. That year, the Canal Corp. had a $55.7 million operating budget and a $51.4 million capital budget. A state comptroller’s report in August 2012 noted the canal system had hurt the Thruway Authority’s finances, with traffic dropping nearly a third since before the Authority took over. On January 1, 2017, the Canal Corporation became a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority, as authorized by the state budget in April 2016. Its headquarters moved to 30 S. Pearl Street in Albany, the Power Authority’s regional offices.
- cost
- $96.7 million
- current_depth
- 12 feet (3.7 m)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
In 1903, the New York State legislature authorized construction of the 'New York State Barge Canal' as the 'improvement of the Erie, the Oswego, the Champlain and the Cayuga and Seneca Canals'. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1918, at a cost of $96.7 million. It opened to through traffic on May 15, 1918. The Barge Canal's new route took advantage of rivers such as the Mohawk River, Oswego River, Seneca River, Genesee River and Clyde River, bypassing some major cities formerly on the route, such as Syracuse and Rochester. However, particularly in western New York State, the canal system uses the same (enlarged) channel as the original Erie Canal. In 1924, the Barge Canal built the Gowanus Bay Terminal in Brooklyn to handle canal cargo. Since the 1970s, the state has ceased modernizing the system due to the shift to truck transport. The canal is preserved primarily for historical and recreational purposes. Today, very few commercial vessels use the canal; it is mainly used by private pleasure boats, although it also serves as a method of controlling floods. The last regularly scheduled commercial ship operating on the canal was the Day Peckinpaugh, which ceased operation in 1994. Since 1992, the Barge Canal is no longer known by that name; individual canals are now referred to by their original names. The system's canals are 12 feet (3.7 m) deep and 120 feet (37 m) wide, with 57 electrically operated locks, and can accommodate vessels up to 2,000 tons (1,800 metric tons). The canal system is open for navigation generally from May 1 through November 15. Payment of a fee for a permit is required to traverse the locks and lift bridges with motorized craft.
Reader's Guide
The New York State Canal System offers a unique journey through New York's waterways, blending history with modern recreation. In 2004, the New York State Canal Corporation reported 122,034 recreational lockings, 8,514 tour boat lockings, and 7,369 hire boat lockings, along with 12,182 tons of cargo valued at approximately $102 million shipped on the system. By 2012, annual cargo volume reached 42,000 tons. Travel on the canal's middle section, particularly in the Mohawk River valley, was severely hampered during destructive flooding in Upstate New York in late June and early July 2006, with flood damage estimated at least $15 million. In 2011, newly elected Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton as director of the Canal Corporation. At the end of August 2011, Tropical Storm Irene caused closure of almost the entire canal due to flooding, followed by Tropical Storm Lee in early September 2011, which added more flooding. Damage to several locks was severe enough to close the canal from Lock 8 (Scotia) through Lock 17 (Little Falls) from late August. The canal was fully open for the start of the 2012 navigation season. Over 200,000 tons of cargo was expected for 2017, the largest shipping volume since 1993. The New York State Canal Corporation is responsible for oversight, administration, and maintenance. In 2012, the Canal Corp. employed 529 people, with an operating budget of $55.7 million and a capital budget of $51.4 million. Effective January 1, 2017, the Canal Corporation became a subsidiary of the New York Power Authority, moving its headquarters to 30 S. Pearl Street, Albany.
Did You Know?
- The New York State Canal System was listed as a national historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
- The Barge Canal opened to through traffic on May 15, 1918, after costing $96.7 million to build.
- The last regularly scheduled commercial ship on the canal was the Day Peckinpaugh, which ceased operation in 1994.
- In 2012, the Canal Corp.'s operating budget was $55.7 million and its capital budget was $51.4 million.
- Over 200,000 tons of cargo was expected for 2017, the largest shipping volume since 1993.
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