Champlain Canal
Encyclopedia
The Champlain Canal is a 60 miles (96.6 km) canal
that connects the south end of Lake Champlain
to the Hudson River
in New York
. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal
and is now part of the New York State Canal System
and the Lakes to Locks Passage
.
The canal was proposed in 1812 and construction authorized in 1817. By 1818, 12 miles (19.3 km) were completed and in 1819 the canal was opened from Fort Edward
to Lake Champlain. The canal was officially opened on September 10, 1823. It was an immediate financial success and carried substantial commercial traffic until the 1970s.
Today, the enlarged barge canal provides a convenient route from the Atlantic/Hudson River to Lake Champlain for recreational boaters. By traveling the length of Lake Champlain, boaters can access the Chambly Canal
, which connects Lake Champlain to the Saint Lawrence Seaway
.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
that connects the south end of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and is now part of the New York State Canal System
New York State Canal System
The New York State Canal System is a successor to the Erie Canal and other canals within New York...
and the Lakes to Locks Passage
Lakes to Locks Passage
The New York State byway known as Lakes to Locks Passage unifies the interconnected waterway of the upper Hudson River, Champlain Canal, Lake George, and Lake Champlain; this waterway is the core of North America’s first “super-highway” between upstate New York, USA and the Province of Quebec, Canada...
.
The canal was proposed in 1812 and construction authorized in 1817. By 1818, 12 miles (19.3 km) were completed and in 1819 the canal was opened from Fort Edward
Fort Edward (village), New York
Fort Edward is a village in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village population was 3,141 at the 2000 census...
to Lake Champlain. The canal was officially opened on September 10, 1823. It was an immediate financial success and carried substantial commercial traffic until the 1970s.
Today, the enlarged barge canal provides a convenient route from the Atlantic/Hudson River to Lake Champlain for recreational boaters. By traveling the length of Lake Champlain, boaters can access the Chambly Canal
Chambly Canal
The Chambly Canal is a National Historic Site of Canada in the Province of Quebec, running along the Richelieu River past Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Carignan, and Chambly. Building commenced in 1831 and the canal opened in 1843. It served as a major commercial route during a time of heightened trade...
, which connects Lake Champlain to the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
.