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       #Post#: 2742--------------------------------------------------
       Even More Erie Canal History - Reservoirs Create the Erie Canal
   DIR By: Doug K
       Date: March 18, 2026, 3:44 pm
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       Well it's mid-March 2026, and quite awhile since I've looked at
       the ECNA Forum. After a long winter moving 143" inches of snow
       from another typical Central NY winter it's a nice distraction
       to get a chance to share a little more history of what has
       become the longest running (and more than likely most expensive)
       New York State INFRASTRUCTURE project: the NY State Erie - Barge
       Canal.
       Or is it the NYS Barge - Erie Canal?
       No matter, just finding a bit of time to put a few more links to
       some great reading material on how the Erie Canal came to exist,
       from inception, to its 200th birthday.
       And what made this 19th century infrastructure project work was
       two things... the abundance of water within Central New York &
       the lack of support from the United States Federal Government.
       Water was the key to the canal system, and not having the US
       Government involved meant NY politicians, and "We the People of
       NY" could solve the issues of building a 300+ mile long "water
       highway" through the very heart of the Finger Lakes region.
       [attachimg=1]
       Many man-made reservoirs are what made the collection of water
       possible to run the Erie Canal System that was constantly losing
       it, as it flowed downhill to the Hudson River. The Finger Lakes
       region was formed by glaciers retreating north, creating sharp
       sided, deep cut ravines surrounded by drumlins (small rolling
       hills) that allowed water to flow both North & South. Those
       small streams with high banks were easy to create dams and store
       water to be used to keep the canal filled for operation during
       hot dry months.
       This website has a good overview of those reservoirs and how
       that stored water made the the NYS Canal System of today even
       possible.
  HTML https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2025/10/ny-canal-summit-level-reservoirs/
       Of course it also took generations "good stewardship" for this
       un-natural waterway to stand the test of time. From the early
       visionaries, to the thousands of immigrant workers who helped
       dig the original Erie Canal, without proper caretakers this NY
       State gem would have gone by the wayside like mules & packet
       boats. Perhaps the most prominent caretaker is the one who most
       recently took ownership in the 21st century and instead of
       dismantling the waterway, as many wanted, they looked at how it
       could be transformed into a viable resource for New York State.
       That new Erie Canal Steward is the New York Power Authority, or
       NYPA as they are known by, who gathered together public support,
       and worked to "Reimagine the Canals". Here's a nice article from
       late 2025 about how NYPA's vision helped save the canal system
       from "decommissioning". What remains today is now the longest
       running public infrastructure project in our Nation's History.
  HTML https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-10-07/at-200-the-erie-canal-delivers-change-to-upstate-new-york
       Hope you enjoy both of these great articles.
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