Learning about the Ohio &
Erie Canal can be confusing for the average reader. There are
many terms that apply to the different structures of the canal
and many times, different names for the same structures. This
page will help you understand the terminology I've used for my
webpage. Although it's not a complete list, it will help you get
from point to point with a good working knowledge of what you'll
find as you explore the canal. For a very thorough list of canal
terminology, check out "The Ohio & Erie Canal: A Glossary of
Terms" by Terry K. Woods, listed on the Recommendations page of
this website.
|
Abutment |
An abutment is
the support at either end of a bridge or aqueduct.
It is located on bank of the body of water that the
structure is crossing. |
|
Aqueduct |
An aqueduct is a
structure that carries the bed of the canal and the
towpath across another body of water that is too big
to be crossed by a culvert. |
|
Basin |
A basin is an
enlarged section of the canal where boats could
dock or turn around. Many business were often
located around basins. |
|
Berm Bank
|
The
canal's berm bank is the bank of the canal
opposite the towpath. Sometimes the berm is
simply the contour of the natural geography
of the area the canal passes through. |
|
Canal
Boat |
The
canal boat was the form of
transportation on the canal. They were
typically 14 feet wide and 80 feet long.
Three types generally operated on the
O&E Canal: the freighter, the packet,
and the state boat. |
|
Culvert |
A
culvert is a structure through which
a small stream can pass under the
canal. |
|
Dry Dock |
A dry dock is a cut out in the
canal that can be drained of
water where canal boats can be
stored or repaired. |
|
Feeder |
A feeder is a channel that
supplies a water source to
the canal from another body
of water. |
|
Guard Lock |
A guard lock is a
special kind of lock
that is used to control
water levels in the
canal but not provide a
specific lift for canal
boats. They are located
near slackwater
impoundments where they
protect the canal from
flooding from the
slackwater. |
|
Lift Lock or Lock |
A lock is a canal structure that is used to raise and lower canal boats to
the varying levels of the canal as it changes altitude through the state.
Each lock on the O&E Canal raised boats anywhere from 7 to 17 feet. A lock is
15 feet wide and 90 feet long. Originally made of sandstone blocks, many locks were
later resurfaced with concrete. |
|
Sidecut |
A sidecut is a branch of the main canal that provides access to a location
not serviced by the main canal. |
|
Slackwater |
A slackwater is water impounded by a dam. The canal sometimes shared a
river by actually flowing into it at a slackwater behind a dam. The
level of water in the canal was protected by guard locks. |
|
Sluice |
A sluice is a structure that allows a controlled amount of water
out of the canal chamber. |
|
Spillway |
The spillway is a regulating channel for canal water that is
temporarily dammed up when lock gates are closed. The water is
bypassed around the lock and back into the canal. Most locks had
a spillway and the power of the bypassed water was often used
for mills that sprung up along the canal. |
Towpath |
The towpath is the side of the canal on which
the mules that pulled the canal boats would walk. It runs parallel
to the canal, usually between it and a river. |
Tumble |
The tumble is the structure at the beginning of the
spillway through which the water is directed into the spillway itself. |
Weir |
A weir is a small dam used to gauge water flow in a body of water |
