Erie Canal elevation of . Lake Erie has a mean surface elevation of . Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a canal in New York, United States that is part of the east–west, cross-state route of the New York State Canal System (formerly known as the New York State Barge Canal). Originally, it ran from where Albany meets the Hudson River to where Buffalo meets Lake Erie. It was built to create a navigable water route from New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. When completed in 1825, it was the second longest canal in the world (after
Asian carp in North America barrier in the transcontinental divide Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The canal connects the Mississippi River drainage basin (via the Illinois River and its tributary the Des Plaines River), to the Great Lakes Waterway (via the Chicago River), and is the only navigable aquatic link between these basins. The initial fish barrier was used as a demonstration project to study the design's effectiveness. Following positive results, construction began on a second, permanent barrier in 2004. In addition to the canal, the Corp has identified 18 sites in five additional states, from Minnesota to New York, that could allow for movement