Marcie and Don took us down to a flume area where kayak lessons and practice take place.
This a kayak obstacle course.
This small cascade of water affords practice on rolls
And then we walked up to a lock to see how it worked.
The original canal was a ditch approximately 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It spans 363 miles with 18 aqueducts and 83 locks. The rise from the Hudson River to Lake Erie is 568 feet. It was begun in 1817 and completed in 1825.
Over the years, portions of the canal have been widened, deepened, and moved. Sections are drained in winter to protect the walls from ice pressure.
Boats can go along sections of the canal, between locks, or go through the locks. Many areas of the canal are undergoing renovation and improvement along the shores to attract more visitors.
So, if you remember this song from your childhood, now you know a little more about it. From Albany to Buffalo, the Erie Canal is still a work in progress and is hauling commercial goods at a fraction of the cost of other modes of transportation.
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