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U-M divers retrieve 8,900-year-old piece of wood from Lake Huron
Annarbor.com (12/12)
University of Michigan researchers announced they have found a 5 1/2 foot long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old in Lake Huron.
Superior researchers studying invasives, ballast water
Ashland Current (2/9)
Determining how clean a ship's ballast water must be to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species is the goal of the latest research partnership between the Northeast-Midwest Institute and the Lake Superior Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
RIVERKEEPERS: Tending the waterways
Niagara Gazette (2/6)
The goal of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper is two-fold: protecting the water quantity and the quality, as well as connecting people to the waterfront.
Internationally renowned ‘Ocean Doctor’ to speak in Grand Rapids
MLive.com (2/3)
Known as the “Ocean Doctor,” David Guggenheim will speak in Grand Rapids, Mich., about the many similarities between the threats to the oceans and to our Great Lakes.
SUNY Fredonia to lead Great Lakes pollution study
Wall Street Journal (2/3)
Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes will be the focus of a study this summer. Led by the State University of New York at Fredonia, researchers will try to quantify the amount of plastic polluting the fresh water Great Lakes.
SSC students taking part in marine science bowl
Arenac County Independent (1/31)
Teams of Michigan high school students will be heading to Ann Arbor this weekend to take part in the annual Great Lakes Bowl, a quiz event that focuses on questions about marine and freshwater systems and biology.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
What canal is between Lake Erie and the Hudson River?
from Cassidy in Jackson, MS, Age 10
Linking Lake Erie and the Hudson River is the Erie Canal, which runs through the Appalachian Mountains. It makes up just a part of the New York system of canals that connect Canadian canals, Lake Champlain, and the St. Lawrence River.
When it opened in 1825 after many failed attempts and technical challenges, the Erie Canal was an engineering marvel. It cost US$7 million at the time to build a new canal that was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, and four feet deep. The success of the Erie Canal lied in the way it facilitated the westward movement of settlers and traders while allowing entrepreneurs to save money by sending goods by sea instead of over land. In just nine short years, the tolls levied on canal travel allowed the builders to recover their initial investment!
The Erie Canal's success was just part of a canal-building boom in New York in the 1820s. Between 1823 and 1828, several lateral canals opened including the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca. With growing competition from railroads and highways, however, and the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, commercial traffic on the New York State Canal System declined dramatically in the latter part of the 20th century.
Related references:
TEACH: Great Lakes Ports and Shipping
TEACH: Where are all of the locks located in the Great Lakes?
National Canal Museum: Erie Canal
NY: The Erie Canal -- A Brief History
Thank you for your question!
Answered on September 25, 2001