History and Culture: The Canal System Today
New York’s canal system has been in continuous operation since 1825, longer than any other constructed transportation system on the North American continent.
Today, navigable portions of the system include the:
- Erie Canal, which connects the Hudson River with Lake Erie, 338 miles to the west;
- Champlain Canal, which connects the tidal portion of the Hudson River with Lake Champlain, 63 miles to the north;
- Oswego Canal, which follows the Oswego River from the Erie Canal 23 miles north to Lake Ontario;
- Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which connects the Erie Canal to 92 miles of canalized rivers and lakes, including the Seneca River and Cayuga and Seneca Lakes.
The system is owned and operated by the New York State Canal Corporation, a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority. | 
