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The Erie Canal
If you went to grade school in New York State like I did, you should have learned New York State history in the fourth grade. We learned about the Iroquois Confederacy with the book “The Great Tree and the Longhouse”. We learned about the structure and history of state government, and we learned about the Erie Canal. Does anyone remember the words to the song “Low Bridge, Everybody Down”? We learned that at the time of its building, the Erie Canal was considered a folly and derogatorily called Clinton’s Ditch. Once completed, it was an important route for commerce from Albany to Buffalo and points west. Even after the building of the New York Central Railroad in the 1850s, the canal remained important for shipping that the railroad couldn’t handle. I remember cargoes being transported on the canal into the 1970s.
The Erie Canal is still used occasionally for transporting oversized cargo even today, but it is mostly used for recreation. We paddle on it, of course and people fish and water ski on it. Others walk or bike next to it, mostly on the old railroad beds. The towns and counties along its length are responsible for general maintenance, but sometimes they need help. Not every recreational user is as responsible as we could hope, and Mother Nature has her own way of doing things. That’s where Canalway Stewards come in.
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor was established by Congress in 2000 under the National Park Service. The Corridor includes not only the canal itself, but the trails, parks, historic landmarks and monuments along it. Volunteer stewards are recruited to see that the areas along the Corridor are kept accessible and appealing to potential users. A small group of Paddlers maintains the section from Freeman’s Bridge to Lock E9. We interact with the other users of the Corridor, sometimes helping them launch canoes or kayaks, giving directions to points of interest and encouraging them to keep the parks and trails clean. We pick up litter at the parks and in the water and, occasionally, trim overgrowing branches from the paths.
There are a couple of sections in the Capitol Region in need of volunteer stewards; Lock E7 to the Waterford Flight (north side) and Canajoharie to Fultonville. I know the members of our club are dedicated environmentalists. Is anyone interested in stepping up?
Have fun. Give back. Be outdoors! Become a NYS Canalway Water Trail Steward.
Join 70 dedicated individuals, families, and groups who monitor and perform light maintenance at launches and on the water from May 1-October 31. Stewards are critical "eyes and ears" along the water and trail and act as friendly ambassadors, sharing information and answering visitor's questions. We have two available sections along the Erie Canal. We provide supply kits and training, in addition to fun swag to help you get the job done. For more information, contact Mona Caron: mona_caron@partner.nps.gov
Learn more at: https://eriecanalway.org/explore/watertrail/stewardship
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Mona K. Caron
Program Manager
Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc.
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
PO Box 219, Waterford, NY 12188
w: (518) 237-7000 x204
c: (518) 429-9068
www.eriecanalway.org
www.facebook.com/ErieCanalway/
www.canalwaychallenge.org
