Stop 26- Skaneateles Creek Aqueduct: Creek and Dam

GPS- 43.066311, -76.472306 

After leaving the dry dock, 

it doesn't take long to arrive at the next canal structure: 

The Skaneateles Creek Aqueduct in Jordan...

aka The Jordan Aqueduct...

which allowed boats to safely traverse the creek.

Here is its marker. 

This aqueduct was part of the Enlarged Erie.

One of the tell-tale signs is its limestone construction. 

More about this aqueduct which took 4 years to build starting in 1841

Some more pics

https://www.eriecanal.org/JordanAqueduct.html?fbclid=IwAR0sTmxCQz8DD6JnmZV1Wi3UlibIH4-39EBTBaeYJXIclecdMZrtdb2hahA

One of two aqueducts and multiple culverts that made 

the Jordan Level one giant body of water for miles!

Two common nicknames for this stretch were the Jordan Level or the Jordan Summit!

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=153875

When Clinton's Ditch first came through Jordan, it was in the same location as the enlargement through the village. It was just only 4ft deep and 40 ft wide

Also noteworthy, is on this map from 1834, 

Skaneateles Creek is known as Skaneateles Outlet.

Similar to the naming pattern for the other Finger Lakes.

But, eventually the name morphed into what we call it today: Skaneateles Creek.

But eventually the canal was widened and deepened to 

7ft deep and 70 ft wide and another aqueduct was built to accommodate the widened canal. 

Made of sturdy limestone, it helped hold a trough 

that allowed the water to pass separately over the creek. 

This view is looking south to the dam that slowed the water 

and allowed it to pass under the arches and trough without damaging the trough of the canal.

Another example of a dam at the Chittenango Creek aqueduct that slows and directs water

Water used to pass under all 4 arches. 

The western most arch (on the far right) was used to feed a raceway, 

the other three fed  the creek

Here is the aqueduct in the 1859 map...it was right by the Jordan Dry Dock

Even today the some of the boards which helped prevent erosion 

can be seen close to the dam.

But much is missing or buried, including parts of the uprights 

they were taken down to prevent them from toppling and killing someone.

But if you look closely you can see part of the ledge 

which once helped secure the wooden trough across the creek.

More about aqueduct design:

https://www.eriecanal.org/UnionCollege/The_Aqueduct.html?fbclid=IwAR0jQcQMT0_RI43XszEnuBpRCMb1M7AyIi5lXRdyzup5fsDLmX3MKqy-CDI

Here is probably one of the earliest photos of the Jordan Aqueduct

By the late 1800s Jordan saw a lot of canal traffic come through town...

the actual level of where the water once was here can be seen in this pic!

And in this one...the boat is passing over the aqueduct!

More great pics of Jordan can be found at Jordan Memories:

https://jordanmemories.omeka.net/items/show/13?fbclid=IwAR0sTmxCQz8DD6JnmZV1Wi3UlibIH4-39EBTBaeYJXIclecdMZrtdb2hahA

Another part missing is the height of the canal berm wall east of the aqueduct...

it certainly is no longer 7ft high! 

In fact, the WPA put in steps to get up to the towpath on the aqueduct,

and about 15 years ago, the state helped make a ramp for the official Erie Canal Trail. 

This section wouldn't hold much water anymore!

Important, integral parts like this make it impossible for the old canal 

to be used or reused in most places...infrastructure has been long missing!

Here is a video of the water going under the aqueduct right after 

a heavy rainstorm on October 26, 2021!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/592524657969509/posts/962222550999716/?__cft__[0]=AZUZVj44ElK05KLkHg-K1ZbGCKVnQ2QRdZPt6ExhZ328FWdLQ42UfUGSY1SL4WTVMkuVJTmePj-JSYNkiOz30-sX6cBP9kJamdPSPnbHynefajdPDwku6Rfqh6eNJkmH5IWJC4FnipDZK51nGZcIBYVl&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

And another video at lower water the next day!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/592524657969509/posts/962640217624616/?__cft__[0]=AZVBXL9bbpHDUn4iGs8wthsWKXgmM6Mk3XxwD_MnKJhaHPrvn6VVYiQlGTS8gOr86y_SKLdfmX7JoPVc-raQpyQZwu6JOtdIHkcW7hh2Sgqi-pw9R_O3wURq_bBJkdWpgNLoy-4746t7rsoB7ep0zpi1&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

But why build a 4 arch aqueduct when only two seem necessary? Well, originally they were all necessary. Once, water did flow under all 4 arches! But why doesn't it now? Simple...Syracuse got water right to Skaneateles Lake. Once Syracuse began to use the water, that volume of water was no longer flowing down the creek. One by one mills heading northward to the Seneca River closed...and this is the volume of water that was left. Eventually the creek was directed to flow through the two most western arches and the other two were filled in. This is the water that was "left".

From this view you can see the two grassed-in arches

However, you can still see the skilled craftsmanship of stonemasons long ago...

from the curve of the footers...

To the curved cut, carved, dressed, and placed stones...

To the walls that walls that have withstood little maintenance in over 100 years...

not bad for 180 year old stone wall!

Eventually water will do what water does best: erode...

but until then, it offers some great views year-round!

But we have promises to keep, and miles and miles before we sleep

...as we press on toward our next stop!

Stop 7- Towpath Rd: What's in a Name?

 GPS-  43.051257, -76.060448

While many parts of the old Erie canal are visible today, such a aqueducts and towpaths, many parts have been lost to time and reuse of the land. However, the clues to the past are often in the road signs as to what was here 150 years ago...so let's take look at signs and what they have to tell us...

A "Towpath Rd" is one of the surest signs that the road was built either on or next to the old Towpath.

As a general rule, the Towpath for the Erie Canal was on the north side of the canal.

Then, not far away we can see in the street signs where canal boats could turn around.

Here the the narrow channel of the canal opened up into a widewaters produced when the curves of Clinton's Ditch were straightened, Here a boat could pull off or turn around.

And on a modern map, the road still curves around this area. The towpath was a ready-made road when it was no longer needed for mules and drivers.

And that little bit of canal channel that remains is visible along the bike path behind the shopping center on Erie Blvd East and Bridge St

But other names are written into the land. Erie Blvd is an obvious one...

But, along 690, there is a "Water St" and "Canal St", both remnants of the canal days

On the Northside of Syracuse, there is Lock Alley hearkening back to the days the Oswego canal passed by as it headed north. State St's original name was Lock St as it went to the locks that were located once near Destiny USA on the Oswego Canal.

Gerelock Rd points to Gere's Lock or Lock 50 the beginning of the Jordan Level.

And Canal Rd and Towpath Rd goes through Warners/Memphis.

And Clinton Rd is visible from Jordan to the county line. It once flowed the curves of Clinton's Ditch, but ended up being just a bit south of the Enlarged Erie Canal.

These and many other street names hint to the rich canal heritage we have here in Onondaga County. There are streets named for canal superintendents, surveyors, and businessmen. Each is a thread that made the tapestry of the canal possible. So as you continue on, note the signs along the way. And now we head on with our mule to our next stop...

Stop 6: Butternut Creek Aqueduct: The Reservoir Begins

GPS- 43.043633, -76.050145

We have now reached the second of our large aqueducts as we continue our 35 mile journey across Onondaga County: The Butternut Creek Aqueduct!

Some highlights of this aqueduct include:

Boards from the canal era still under water in Butternut Creek that help channel water under the aqueduct and help lessen the erosion of aqueduct by the creek.

A closer view:

and some great stone work, similar to the stonework 

we saw on Limestone Creek Aqueduct.

Some more about this aqueduct:

https://www.eriecanal.org/ButternutCreek.html?fbclid=IwAR1vdW6CF9bJPEuWQzV9DdRcVN40Fz98Vh47Ir5kaRpXjBmd2qi8Sr9g6oo 

However, after taking a moment or two to appreciate the Erie Canal Structures that remains,  perhaps something begins to nag at you....something in the back of your mind that you can't quite place your finger on, but something is different here, something...but what?

....Wait...there's water in this old section of canal! The old Erie Canal was abandoned in 1917 with the completion of the barge canal, but water still flows here!....and fills this section all the way back to Rome. But why? Why water, why here, and most importantly, why still here now?

Even from its earliest days, there was a feeder that took water upstream from Butternut Creek and gently merged it with Clinton's Ditch to fill the ditch and keep it filled.

Jamesville Reservoir and Butternut Creek Feeder were used as ways to add extra water to the canal. When the Erie Canal was widened and deepened, the canal needed more than three times the water to keep it at level. Butternut Creek was dammed in Jamesville creating the Jamesville Reservoir. 

 from the c.1850s

to the c.1860s

Then, the Enlarged Canal then had a greater

water flow to fill the canal as necessary

That only explains why water was there...but why is there still water there now? Why do Limestone Creek and Butternut Creek have that concrete channel that still carries water across them? (Hint: it's wasn't for kayakers, although that is a modern bonus 😉!)?

Answer: The Long Level (or Rome Level) is used as a reservoir for the Modern Barge Canal!

The opening by Butternut creek drive is where the Jamesville (Butternut Creek) Feeder still fills this section of the canal.

A great aerial shot by Jeff Heim

It is the only major working feeder left on this section. If it weren't for this section being used as one long reservoir, it would have been drained and abandoned in 1917. But this section has always had minimal maintenance to help keep water flowing in this section. Why the concrete channel and not the wooden troughs that were once used? Maintenance! Wood would need maintenance more frequently. Concrete would last longer. Here is a pic of the aqueduct from its wooden days:

And its later abandoned days when this area was not yet a park around 1970

(pic courtesy of Cori Wilson)

But gradually, people saw the benefit of sprucing up the old towpath into a recreation trail along the section which basically serves as a long reservoir to the Modern Canal, and the Old Erie State Historic Park was formalized and well onto the road...er...Towpath of being the park and trail that it is today.

https://parks.ny.gov/parks/olderiecanal/maps.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2pk51kQkOFtO7sq8JV5vuWJ_LJqgK_3VG3RDcUVb170tfcqb62OpsZQ6k

And so we leave the Butternut Creek Aqueduct and continue on our trip across the 35 miles of canal across Onondaga County to our next stop...