How many locks are in the erie canal

Lengthening of the first lock, Lock 50, to feet was completed in By , Locks , , , , and 72 had been lengthened. Locks from the Hudson River through Cohoes , at Little Falls , at Newark , and at Lockport were never lengthened. Below are the plans for two of the enlarged, lengthened locks -- click on each image to see a larger version of the plan. Whitford Albany : Brandow Printing Co. Images of Enlarged Erie Canal locks may be found on this web site in the following locations note that, in some cases, the locks are shown while in use, while other images are what remains today :.

Between and , the State again enlarged the canal by the construction of what was termed the "Barge Canal", these locks of today are feet long and 45 feet wide, with a depth of 12 feet of water over the mitre-sills, and can accommodate vessels feet long and See the Canal Profile for the height and location of the current locks. For more information about locks, including plans and details of the mechanisms, see the Making It Work: The Lock page in the th Anniversary Exhibit section of this web site, and to the Locks and Keys page of the 40x44x28 site.

Plan of Lock 41, Fort Herkimer, as lengthened in Note that the eastern foot end of the south berme lock chamber is noted as "New lock". Plan of Lock 56, Lyons also called the Poorhouse lock.

Back to top. The two are connected by the 3. There is, however, portage available through Snug Harbor Marina for boats under 40' in length. Saratoga Springs is 12 miles away from Schuylerville mile 25 on the Champlain Canal. Domesticated animals excluding exotics may be brought onto publically accessible canal property e. A cage or a leash is recommended. Pet owners should take all appropriate steps to ensure that their enjoyment — and the enjoyment of their pets — does not hinder the enjoyment of the Canal by any other patron.

Skip to Main Content. Skip to Navigation. Your browser does not support iFrames. Navigation menu. Why is it necessary to raise or lower vessels on a waterway?

The Erie Canal is a good example of terrain change. A vessel leaving Albany, NY must travel through a series of locks that will raise her feet before arriving in Buffalo. The history of locks is a subject in it self and would take a book if explored completely. Locks date back to the Chinese, over years ago 50 B. As the vessel approaches the dam, the gate is opened and the vessel must be pulled through manually against the current. I wonder how many people that took to accomplish and if any of them were lost downstream to the current?

Obviously this was a mighty slow and hard process. However, the crews on vessels going upstream were much safer than the crews going downstream. Luckily, around A. The swinging gates at each end met in the center and were straight across, so there was still the problem of water leaking out of the chamber through these gates.