Seven to Save Spotlight: NYS Barge Canal System

Over the next few months, we’ll be diving into our current group of Seven to Save sites, painting a more complete picture of these unique places around New York State. It is a varied mix of places, each with statewide significance and an interesting story to tell about our shared history. This month, we will be spending some time talking about the NYS Barge Canal System ⁠— a site that in itself is made up of many places, touching communities across a large swath of New York. More than 70% of upstate New York’s population lives within 25 miles of the Erie Canal. The NYS Canal System is part of the economic and social fabric of communities from Buffalo to Albany along the Erie Canal, from Waterford to Whitehall on the Champlain Canal, from Syracuse to Oswego on the Oswego Canal, and from Seneca Falls to Geneva on the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. The Erie Canaway National Heritage Corridor encompasses 4,834 square miles in 23 counties and is home to 3.2 million people.

Photo by Robert Corby

The historic significance of the canal corridor is well established. The canal system is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, this country’s highest level of historic designation. The canal system has been in continuous operation since 1825, longer than any other constructed transportation system in North America. It continues to be well used, providing countless opportunities for recreation, tourism, and commercial transportation.

So why do we think this beloved, widely used, and integral part of New York’s infrastructure is threatened enough to place it on our Seven to Save list? As the Erie Canal celebrates its bicentennial from 2017 to 2025, New York State embarked on an initiative to Reimagine the Canals. As part of this initiative, NYS recently released a Reimagine the Canals report recommending changes to the NYS Canal System without fully recognizing the system’s strengths and historic integrity. We believe that the best future for this National Historic Landmark lies in capitalizing on its authenticity as the oldest, continuously operating canal system in the nation. Our Seven to Save designation highlights the need for New York State to prioritize stewardship of the NYS Canal System as an intact, fully-navigable international waterway for present and future generations. Along with other stakeholders, we welcome additional new uses for the NYS Canal System, while improving amenities for canal travelers and strengthening local, regional, and international partnerships to promote recreational and commercial uses.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing content that touches on every aspect of the canal system, its historical importance and unique characteristics, recreational opportunities and canalside towns, its economic impact, and the League’s longstanding support and advocacy on its behalf.

We hope you’ll follow along this month as we tell the story of the canal ⁠— why we love it, how we use it, and why it’s worth preserving now and for future generations.

You can find all the blog posts in the series by clicking here.