FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2006
CANAL CORPORATION ANNOUNCES THE START OF MAINTENANCE DREDGING ON THE CHAMPLAIN CANAL
Project Expected to Last Throughout the Summer
The New York State Canal Corporation today announced that the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers has issued a permit for maintenance dredging on the Champlain
Canal, below Lock C-4 in Schaghticoke. Hydraulic dredging operations are
scheduled to begin Monday, May 22nd to remove sediment originating from the
Hoosic River from the Canal channel bottom.
“Dredging is vital to the continued sustainability of the Canal System,” Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello said. “A navigable, viable waterway is essential if we are to maximize the potential of the Canal System as a transportation, recreation and economic resource.”
The hydraulic dredging process is similar to the working of a household
vacuum cleaner. Sediment is removed from the canal floor with water as the
transport medium as it moves through a pipeline. The slurry of water and
sediment is deposited into an approved disposal site where, over the course of
time, the sediment settles out and the clarified water returns to the canal.
Maintenance of the Canal’s charted channel depths ensures the safety of canal
users and enables shippers to fully realize the potential of commercial shipping
via the Canal System. In addition to commercial craft, historic vessels and
large recreational vessels – especially sailboats – require a deep channel in
order to navigate the waterway.
The dredging project is expected to last throughout the summer.
The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the
Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles
across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake
Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history
and culture.
In late May 2005, Governor Pataki unveiled his vision for establishing the Erie Canal Greenway and, ultimately, the Empire State Greenway, connecting the Niagara, Erie and Hudson River Greenways. The Canal Corporation and an interagency task force conducted an outreach campaign to gather input and ideas and develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to create the new Erie and Empire State Greenways and examine certain roles and responsibilities currently assigned to the Canal Corporation. The recommendations were delivered in a report to the Governor in December 2005.
For more information about news and events along the New York State Canal System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us.
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