The Champlain Canal opened on Sept. 7, 1823. The 63-mile north-south canal connects the Hudson River with Lake Champlain. In addition to recreational boaters and paddlers, commercial shipping continues with tugs and barges carrying crushed paving stone from the North Country to New York City. Our thanks go out to all those who care for, preserve, and champion this remarkable waterway.

Photos: (Above) The Champlain Canal in Northumberland by Susan Meyer. (Right) National, state and local officials and residents gathered in Schuylerville on August 9 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Champlain Canal. 

We are thrilled to be among 14 grant recipients to receive funding from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)’s Mohawk River Basin Program through the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. The $50,000 grant will enable us to conduct a needs assessment and develop a long-term plan for paddler access, amenities, and stewardship between Rome and Waterford. The project helps to fulfill recreation and stewardship goals and objectives of DEC’s Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda 2021-2026. 

DEC awarded a total of $600,000 to municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, school districts, colleges and universities, and not-for-profit organizations to conserve, preserve, and restore the Mohawk River Watershed.

LOCK TENDERS TRIBUTE MONUMENT COMPLETED

The final six sculptures in the Lock Tenders Tribute Monument in Lockport were installed on September 1 and a formal dedication will take place on Saturday, 9/16 at 10 am. Sculptor Susan Geissler created the 14 cast bronze figures to recreate an original photograph taken on the same steps in 1897 by F.B. Clench. The monument celebrates those whose manual labor made the Erie Canal an economic engine for New York State and the nation. It is the centerpiece of the Lockport Locks Heritage District, which also includes the restored Flight of Five locks and Barge Canal double locks 34 and 35. Join the festivities during Lockport Heritage Weekend, 9/16, 9am-2pm >   (Photo by Jeff Tracy)

CELEBRATING ITHACA'S HISTORIC WATERFRONT 

A new interpretive sign “Ithaca’s Waterway to the World” will be unveiled on Saturday, October 7 at 10am at Stewart Park in Ithaca. The sign, which shares Ithaca's role as a canal port in the 1800s, was created by Friends of Stewart Park and made possible by a grant from the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

This event will be followed by a tour of historic Stewart Park hosted by Friends of Stewart Park, Wharton Studio Museum and Historic Ithaca. The tour will focus on the park's history and its current revitalization. This event highlights the work and partnerships of Erie Canalway's Finger Lakes Canalway Experience Council, a group created to guide activities and forge connections in the Finger Lakes Region. REGISTER HERE >

The City of Little Falls made upgrades at the Little Falls Rotary Park Marina to improve the visitor experience. The project team refinished interior floors, made energy conservation upgrades, enhanced visitor amenities, added signage and lighting, and installed a new section of floating dock.

The Town of Saratoga improved amenities to the Hudson River Boat Launch located on Route 4, south of the Village of Schuylerville. The new amenities are directed at cyclists and hikers, boaters, and paddlers. Improvements include an accessible hand launch, benches, picnic tables, bike racks, and a pavilion.

SCHOOLS IN, FIELD TRIPS BEGIN

Registration is open for fall and spring Ticket to Ride field trips for the 2023-24 school year. Schools can take advantage of first-rate educational field trips to designated canal museums and historic canal sites for free. The program covers both bus and tour fees. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis until available funds are exhausted. REGISTER NOW >

2023 WORLD CANALS CONFERENCE ONLINE

The 2023 World Canals Conference is being held online with a series of engaging seminars led by waterway experts. REGISTER TO ATTEND >

• Different approaches to regenerating canals, 9/21, 11am ET with Joe Reed, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (USA) and Mike Palmer, Waterway Recovery Group, Inland Waterways Association (UK)
• ‘Greening’ inland cruising vessels, 10/19, 11am ET with Simon Boyde, IWI Low Impact Navigation Working Group (UK) and Alfred Carignant, Les Canalous (France)
• Canal restoration and urban regeneration, 11/16, 11am ET with John Festarini, Lachine Canal, Parks Canada (Canada) and Jean-François Antoine, Canal de Roubaix, Lille Métropole (France)

Your support matters!

Donate today to ensure that New York's canals are preserved, celebrated, and vibrant for all. Our work is made possible thanks to the generous and ongoing support of the National Park Service, NYS Canal Corporation, NYS Agencies, foundations, corporations, and people like you. DONATE >

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
PO Box 219 | Waterford, NY 12188 
518-237-7000 | erie_canal@nps.gov 
www.eriecanalway.org

To unsubscribe or change your email, please email us at erie_canal@nps.gov.