Erie Canal

From NY Canals: Information and Cruising Guide to New York's Erie, Oswego, Champlain, and Cayuga-Seneca Canal System

Major Towns along the Erie Canal
Waterford Scotia Amsterdam Schenectady Fonda/Fultonville Canajoharie Fort Plain Little Falls Illion Utica Rome Sylvan Beach Brewerton Syracuse Baldwinsville	Jordan Weedsport Lyons Newark Palmayra Fairport Pittsford Spencerport Brockport Holley Albion Media Middleport Lockport Tonawanda

The Erie Canal was first navigable almost 200 years ago in 1817 (completed to Buffalo in 1825) and to this day still serves the boating community in providing safe passage to Upstate New York and beyond. It stretches 338 miles from Waterford (North of Albany at the Hudson River) to Lake Erie near Buffalo, it created the first navigable connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. Originally built as a means for commercial traffic, it has transformed into a recreational boaters dream. The Erie Canal is lined with dozens of canal towns offering all the services that a transient boater would need.

Today's Canal has 34 Locks and is at least 120 feet wide and 12 feet deep. It has a vertical clearance of 21 feet between Waterford and the Oswego Canal, and 15.5 feet between the Oswego River and Lake Erie. The locks are significantly larger than those of 150 years ago at 328 feet long and 45 feet wide, large enough for almost all recreational cruisers as well as large commercial barges to pass through. The largest vessels can be as large as 300 feet long by 43.5 feet wide.

[edit] Erie Canal Facts

The Mavret H at Waterford. One of the many tugboats along the canal.

Eastbound on the Erie Canal near Lockport.

Erie Canal Lock Information
Erie Canal Marina Information
Length of the Canal: 338 miles
Number of Locks: 34
Depth of channel: 14 feet (Waterford to Three Rivers)
Depth of channel: 12 feet (Three Rivers to Tonawanda)
Overhead bridge clearance: 21 feet minimum (Waterford to Three Rivers)
Overhead bridge clearance: 15.5 feet minimum (Three Rivers to Tonawanda)
Speed limit: 10 mph
Channel markers: red buoys on the north side, green on the south side.

[edit] Free Public Walls along the Erie Canal

[edit] Waterford to Three Rivers (East to West)

Waterford Village Wall, Waterford -- Power, Water, Restrooms, Access to restaurants, store, post office, and more.
Guard Gate E2 -- No Services, small park, two walls (one on northern shore, one on southern).
Crescent Town Wall -- No Services, access to store.
Scotia -- Town Park located off the canal.
Guy Park, Amsterdam -- Power, Water, No Restroom, Access to restaurants, stores and more.
Fonda/Fultonville -- NYS Canal Corporation Maintenance Buildings, Access to town, No Services.
Riverfront Park, Canajoharie -- Power, Water, No restrooms, access to stores, restaurants.
Lock E17, Little Falls -- No services, small park and walking trail.
Lock E20 -- West side of lock, free power, water, small park.
Rome Terminal Wall -- No Services at docks, power east end, small park.
Lock E21 -- No services, small park.
Lock E22 -- No services, small park.
Sylvan Beach Terminal Wall -- No Services, access to restaurants, store, post office, and more.
Brewerton Terminal Wall -- No Services, two separate walls, access to restaurants, stores and more.
Three Rivers -- No Services, small park.