The Erie Canalway: Stewardship and Multivalent Significance of Historic Waterways

Abstract

Once North America’s longest constructed transportation system, the Erie Canalway has been in continuous operation for nearly 200 years (ASCE 2022; Goodstadt et al. 2020). The Canalway transformed New York City into the nation’s chief port and helped New York State (NYS) become a commercial, industrial and financial center (Library of Congress, n.d.; Hay 2014). Beyond moving people and goods, the Canalway carried ideas, innovations and social movements; it connected Europe, the US Eastern seaboard and the US interior; it has been credited with facilitating settlementefforts, advancing democracy and strengthening national identity (Goodstadt et al. 2020; Hay 2014). The system of the Erie Canalway is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the NY State and National Registers of Historic Places; it is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and is part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The Canalway contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure) through its resilience over two centuries and its repurposing from transportation infrastructure to a historic, cultural and recreational corridor. Its innovation captures the paradigm shift of water engineering for transport to water management in terms of ecology and culture. The Canalway also illustrates some of the challenges associated with SDG 6 (Water and Sanitation), especially in regard to water-related ecosystems.