The Muskingum River has a series of working, hand-operated locks that start above Zanesville at Ellis Dam and extend the length of the river down to Marietta, Ohio, on the Ohio River. The dams were constructed by the Core of Engineers for flood control purposes.
So, to get around the dams, canals were constructed. You leave the river, go down the canal into a lock which raises or lowers your boat to the level of the river after the dam.
The Zanesville canal runs between the southern edge of downtown and the river. I hadn't been down on the canal bank for years -- it's a tree-lined area with big old trees that are already losing their leaves. Great for picnics, walking the dog, duck watching, or just a quiet stroll.
5 comments:
Are the locks still functional? Or are there other ways around now...?
Yes, the locks all still work. There's been alot of money spent on them in the last years to keep them in working order. It's a tourism draw. The Muskingum is the only, or one of the only rivers left in the country with hand-operated locks. A gatekeeper is on duty certain hours of the day and he operates the huge lock gates by turning a crank. I'll try to get down to the lock today to take pictures of it for tomorrow's blog.
Oh, I especially like the 3rd and 4th photos. So peaceful looking.
Lovely!
Great photos - very nice
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