Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs): A Canadian approved PFD is designed to keep you afloat in the water. PFDs were designed for use in recreational boating and are generally smaller, less bulky and more comfortable than lifejackets.
The Erie Canal, in New York state (shown below), was 360 mi (580 km) long, and connected New York with the Great Lakes via the Hudson River. Locks were built to overcome the 571-ft (174-m) difference between the level of the river and that of Lake Erie.
Save. When the Erie Canal opened in 1825, the 363-mile canal connected the Hudson River at its east end with Lake Erie in the west. The canal was such an important part of the 19th century that it spawned a popular song, Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal..