Hey pal, it’s me—Sal.
You know me from my hit single “Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal,” from Albany to Buffalooo…
I finally had a chance to get my tail on straight and can fill you in on what’s been happening behind the scenes as we’ve geared up, down and sideways ahead of the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal’s 363-mile completion in 1825.
You should have seen me in the days leading up to what was supposed to be my Big Bicentennial Bash. I had my party hat on, the Albany Symphony Orchestra was practicing, my hooves and our locks were all polished to the nines.
After all—we are turning 200! Two full centuries of lock lifts, trail treks, tugboats and towpaths. It’s a go-big-or-go-home kinda thing.
But… Mother Nature showed up uninvited. Honestly, I’m only able to reflect on this whirlwind start to the season because we have safely, steadily and successfully put a lot of these stumbles behind us.
I’m looking out at a lock tender welcoming in new boaters as we speak! (Haha—that boat is named Better L8 Than Never…fitting.)
But the rain. OH, how it rained! May brought more rain than New York’s seen in a quarter-century. Not really what we had in mind when we said it was a historic moment...
The storms led to infrastructure malfunctions. And new embankment seep discoveries.
And dangerously high water.
And debris. And off-station buoys.
And, understandably, a lot of really disappointed boaters.
So we did what stewards do. We dropped the balloons and sprung into action.
Recalibrating the Canal
Let’s get real for a sec: the 2025 Navigation hasn’t looked like we’d hoped. Between extreme rainfall, dangerously high flows and historic infrastructure that sometimes acts its age, we had no choice but to pivot…and fast.
Opening Day = Delayed.
Miles of Waterway = Closed.
Staff = Working Harder Than Ever.
At Rocky Rift near Lock E-16, crews hustled to repair a movable dam and stabilize an earthen embankment seep near Danube.
It’s delicate, high-stakes work, but after six weeks, we finished up work and could finally let boaters heading deeper into New York, up to Canada, or onto the Great Loop, through the Canal’s eastern terminus in Waterford.
Then, across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, high water shut down several key locks, including E-24 (Baldwinsville), E-25 (Mays Point) and CS-1 on the Cayuga-Seneca.
This region just kept getting slammed over and over again.
It was so painful to see—but it gave us an opportunity to spread some really important knowledge about the Oswego River Basin and its impact on the region.
Needless to say, it hasn’t been easy—for our staff, our boaters, our partners (not to mention my party…) but it has been a powerful reminder of just how much care this system needs. And deserves.
Maintenance in Motion
Even in a milestone year, the Canal isn’t some frozen-in-time relic.
It’s part of a living, breathing, 524-mile system that takes sophisticated talent, modern tools and old-school grit to keep running.
This is Maintenance in Motion.
Truth be told, even as other sections have reopened, Central New York is STILL dealing with high levels from repeated spring storms. The Oswego River Basin, Cross Lake and parts of the Mohawk River are especially impacted—remember it’s like draining the ocean with a garden hose…during a downpour.
It’s frustrating, we know, but in a system this big, water moves on its own schedule.
Behind the scenes, we’ve had engineers coming up with innovative solutions for rehabilitation, hydrologists eagle-eyeing forecasts and water levels, crews installing equipment and clearing debris and resetting navigation markers.
It’s all the less-than-glamorous—but wildly heroic—side of Canal Revitalization. And it doesn’t get to take a break even for a party.
But… if there’s one thing this season has proven, it’s that our people show UP!
Mariners, lock operators, trail users, local partners and die-hard Erie Canallers—thank you so much.
Let’s Party!
Now I bet you’re thinking, “Sal, you said all systems are a go! How can we mark this moment with you??”
Thank you for the thoughtful question!
The Erie Canal’s Bicentennial is a year-long commemoration, and there are plenty of ways to get involved. Come heck or high water.
Check out the Erie Canalway’s events calendar for festivals, paddles & pop-up history all season long.
Learn more and join us in Buffalo for the annual World Canals Conference, bringing together global waterway experts to talk about the future of our Erie and beyond.
If you want to rep the big 2-0-0 in your home or office or boathouse, download our free Bicentennial poster and hang it with pride.
And take a look at our recently released long-range vision, Canal Recreationway Plan 2050, prepared by the Canal Recreationway Commission and start imagining what the Canals will look like for the next generation of New Yorkers and beyond.
As always, thanks for sticking with us through the high flows and the low bridges. We’re not just keeping the Canal alive. We’re getting it ready for another 200 years.
Because that’s what stewards do.
With Love,
SAL
P.S. Follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram, book a free On the Canals adventure and sign up for Notices to Mariners!
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