Along the Old Champlain Canal on the Last Day of Autumn, 2016

Canalology

Sometimes the old canal is easy to spot…

…at other times it may just be an unnaturally-shaped bit of standing water

Sometimes all that remains are earthworks constructed as tow paths.

Alternately, you might see a vestige of a bridge over nothing, that once spanned the busiest commercial corridor between Canada and New York City!

Further along, back in what are now woods, are the remnants of a 190 year old lock.

If you can get up close, grooves worn-in by hundreds of thousands of mule lead-lines become apparent…

The canals brought prosperity and activity to a sparsely-inhabited frontier…

…taken away first by railroads then by super highways.

Today a majestic tree occupies the abandoned canal that cemented New York City’s position as the financial capital of the world.

This is all that remains of the Normans Kill Aqueduct: yes, the canals consisting of water had themselves to go over water!

Now, as 100 years ago, portions of the canal not in the Hudson River were drained before freezing to allow for repairs….

The New Champlain Barge Canal “cut” near Ft Miller, drained in early December, it is 11 feet shallower, until spring that is.

The State Canal Corp uses huge gates to hold back water in case of an emergency break or to allow for winter repair work.

The Old Canal is always there, many parts easier to spot on the last day of fall.

With its gates removed and water routed to the New Canal, this lock seems to be little more than a misplaced oddity today.

“The Sounds of Silence”: photo taken in what

would have at least 6 feet of water… 118 years ago.

The End of the Line: canal drained, “Tug 44” rests until the Feeder Locks open and replenish the Champlain again.