Canal Dams

Canal Dams. Schoharie Crossing. , Dams played a vital role in the operation of both the original and the Enlarged Erie Canals. Although only one dam was in use here at any given time, several dams were built throughout the 19th century to replace those constantly being destroyed by ice and the flood waters of the Schoharie Creek. , , A dam was first placed in the Schoharie Creek on the 1820s Erie Canal to raise the water level and create a pool of calm water across which boats could be towed. The tow was often perilous because the Schoharie could be anything but calm. , Although construction of the aqueduct on the Enlarged Erie eliminated the need for boats to cross the pool of wáter created by the dam, a dam in this location continued to serve an important function. Because the volume of flowing across the aqueduct was insufficient to allow for boat travel east of Fort Hunter, it was necessary to channel an additional source of water into the canal. The dam on the Schoharie Creek provided that extra water. It raised the creek to a level at which it could be diverted through the modified East Guard Lock and into a section of the original Erie Canal. From there, the channeled water flowed into the Enlarged Erie a short distance to the east., (Lower Left:) Chronological sequence of canal dams. The location of the dam changed several times during the 19th because canal engineers kept trying to rebuild it in “safer” spots. , (Center:) Remains of a canal dam in 1984., (Upper Right:) The last Schoharie dam was built in 1894. It was lengthened, modified, and repaired several times after that. Courtesy of the Montgomery County Department of History and Archives.