List of canals in New York facts for kids

New York is a state in the United States known for its amazing history. Part of this history involves special waterways called canals. Canals are like man-made rivers or channels built for different reasons. Sometimes they help manage water, like draining wet areas. Other times, they are built for transportation, allowing boats to carry goods and people from one place to another.

In New York, canals played a huge role in connecting different parts of the state and helping it grow. They made it easier and faster to move farm products, raw materials, and manufactured goods across long distances, especially before trains and trucks became common.

Famous Canals in New York State

Many canals have been built and used throughout New York's history. Some are still in use today as part of the New York State Canal System, while others are historical sites.

Here is a list of some of the canals that have existed in New York:

• Baldwinsville Canal
• Black River Canal
• Cayuga and Seneca Canal
• Champlain Canal
• Chemung Canal
• Chenango Canal
• Chenango Canal Extension
• City Ship Canal
• Clark and Skinner Canal
• Crooked Lake Canal
• Delaware and Hudson Canal
• Erie Canal
• Evans Ship Canal
• Feeder Canal
• Genesee Valley Canal
• Glens Falls Feeder Canal
• Gowanus Canal
• Harlem Ship Canal
• Hydraulic Canal
• Junction Canal
• Little Falls Canal
• Love Canal (used for drainage)
• Main and Hamburg Canal
• Oneida Lake Canal
• Oneida River Improvement
• Oswego Canal
• Scottsville Canal
• Seneca River Towing-Path
• Shinnecock Canal
• Union Ship Canal

The Mighty Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is probably the most famous canal in New York. It was a huge project that connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and then to the Atlantic Ocean. This canal changed New York forever!

Why Was the Erie Canal So Important?

Before the Erie Canal, it was very hard and expensive to move goods from the western parts of New York to the big cities on the coast. The canal made transportation much cheaper and faster. This helped farmers send their crops to market and allowed goods from the East Coast to reach new settlements in the West.

The Erie Canal helped New York City become a major port and financial center. It also encouraged people to move to and settle in upstate New York, leading to the growth of many towns and cities along its path.

How Did the Erie Canal Work?

The Erie Canal was built in sections over many years. The first part opened in 1817, and the main section was completed in 1825. To deal with changes in land elevation, engineers built special structures called locks. Locks are chambers that can be filled with or emptied of water to raise or lower boats from one water level to another. The original Erie Canal had 83 locks!

Over time, the Erie Canal was made wider and deeper to handle bigger boats. The version we see today, often called the New York State Barge Canal, was completed in 1918. It's still used for some commercial shipping and a lot of recreational boating.

Other Notable Canals

While the Erie Canal gets a lot of attention, other canals were also very important for local areas.

Black River Canal

The Black River Canal connected the Erie Canal to the Black River. It was built to help move timber and other goods from the northern parts of the state. It had many locks to handle the big changes in elevation.

Champlain Canal

The Champlain Canal connected the Hudson River to Lake Champlain. This allowed goods to be moved between New York and Canada, opening up new trade routes.

Genesee Valley Canal

The Genesee Valley Canal stretched from Rochester on the Erie Canal down to the Allegheny River. It helped transport coal, lumber, and agricultural products from the southern tier of New New York.

See also