Canal water levels will be a foot lower again this season
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Allens Bridge Road canal bridge in Albion is shown on Oct. 14, 2022.
The Erie Canal water levels will again be about a foot lower for the 2023 navigation season, the Canal Corp. announced on Wednesday.
This is for the area between Lock E-30 in Macedon and Locks E-34/35 in Lockport.
This is the second year that levels have been reduced as the Canal Corporation continues to monitor more than 200 known seeps along the canal’s earthen embankments, the Canal Corp. said.
“Levels may vary slightly depending on the location,” the Canal Corp. stated. “The reduced water levels should not impact vessels transiting the canal within the navigation channel but may impact some docks and boat launches.”
In addition, water levels in the Glens Falls Feeder Canal will be approximately two feet lower than historic levels as seeps continue to be monitored there as well.
The Canal Corporation said it monitors and inspects these earthen dams on foot via daily and uses advanced technologies like drones and thermal imaging.
The 199th navigation season opens May 19 and closes Oct. 11.
