Opening Day 2026 is underway! 🎉
Thank you to everyone who joined us as we opened the NYS Canal System for its 202nd consecutive navigation season, proudly navigating well into our third century of use. This year also marks Director Ben Walsh’s first opening day!
Watch the highlights from this morning’s festivities, and don’t forget to sign-up for Notice to Mariners to get the latest lock‑by‑lock updates now and throughout the season (link in our bio).
Here’s to a safe, vibrant year on the canals! #nyscanals #eriecanal #waterford
🚤 Today’s the day! The Erie Canal Navigation Season is officially OPEN 🎉
🚲🌿 Starting May 15, the canal comes back to life with boats on the water, activity along the @eriecanalway , and our community gathering to enjoy everything this historic waterway has to offer. Thank you to the @nycanals and the Erie Canalway Trail for helping make this incredible resource possible for all 🙌
From scenic strolls to days out on the water, the season is here through October 14. 🌊🏞️
Here’s to another season of adventure, connection, and community along the Erie Canal!
Ready to learn a skill set you can’t get anywhere else?
Step into “Canal craft:” the hands‑on, outdoors, problem‑solving work that keeps New York’s historic Canal system moving.
If you want a job where you’re outdoors, part of a team and doing work that matters, we’re hiring:
🛟 Canal Workers
🛟 Facility Operations Assistants
🛟 Canal Structure Operators
Build real experience. Build real skills.
Be part of something uniquely New York.
Apply now with the link in our bio.đź”—
We’re back with Plein Air by the Canal this summer! 🌿 Join us across four locations through fall ✨ Free & open to all levels, materials included 🎨
Come sketch with us outdoors and capture the beauty of the canals together.
We’re so happy to be part of the #OnTheCanals program, bringing art adventures to the Mohawk Valley region! Thank you @nycanals and @nypaenergy for the support that makes this possible 🙌🏼
Spots are limited, secure yours now (link in bio) ✨
#morearteverywhere #artcommunity #watercolorsketch #msotterstudio
Boaters… it’s almost that time!
As we gear up for the start of the 2026 Navigation Season, here’s your digital copy of the Boater Resource Guide. It’s your trusty co‑captain for exploring the NYS Canal System.
What’s inside? A little bit of everything you need to float happily through the season, including: ✔️ how to plan your trip ✔️ where to tie up ✔️ what services are available along the way ✔️ safety tips ✔️ lock info, rules of the waterway & more
Explore the digital guide online with the link in our bio.
Save it, share it, keep it handy… and get ready for a great season on the Canal!
Notice to Mariners: The Canal system is scheduled to open this Friday, May 15 at 8 a.m., except for the following locations:
🚫 Lock E‑24
🚫 Lock E‑25
🚫 Lock CS‑1
These areas remain closed due to high water and unplaced navigation aids. They’ll open as soon as conditions allow.
Additionally, Lock E‑16 and Lock E‑17 will be operating on a modified schedule:
✔️ Vessels will pass in both directions on the even hours: 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm
✔️ At 6pm: E‑16 eastbound only, E‑17 westbound only
✔️ No overnight mooring between the locks
✔️ Idle speed (5 mph max) required between E‑16 and Rocky Rift
Want updates like this right away? Sign up for Notice to Mariners to stay informed throughout the season with the link in our bio. đź”—
🚧 Trail Improvements Underway in Rochester 🚧
@NYSCanals is undertaking work on one of the busiest sections of the Erie Canalway Trail/Empire State Trail through Rochester.
This major reconstruction project includes:
✔️ Repaving 4 miles of trail
✔️ Improved drainage and subsurface materials
✔️ Vegetation clearing and erosion repairs
✔️ New guide rails, signs, and traffic control features
✔️ Upgrades to the Lyell Avenue trailhead parking lot
Construction will take place in phases through June 2026 to help minimize disruptions. Marked detours will be provided.
đź“… Current schedule:
• Phase 1: May 11–12 (if not complete yet, it will be soon)
• Phases 2 & 3: May 13–22
• Phase 4: May 21–29
• Phase 5: June 1–5
Thank you for your patience as these improvements help create a safer, smoother trail experience for years to come. Please follow posted detours and signage during construction.
The Canals are coming back to life as we head toward Opening Day this Friday, May 15 (conditions and weather permitting).
Sections that were dewatered for winter maintenance have now been refilled, and to celebrate that step in the journey toward navigation season, we’re sharing a behind‑the‑scenes video from our archives that shows the fascinating process of how we “water up” each spring.
Even though this footage was recorded a few years ago, the engineering, teamwork and careful coordination remain very much the same today.
#nyscanals #eriecanal
The countdown is on! Navigation Season starts this Friday and here are a few fun facts to know:
✔️ This year marks the 202nd season of canal navigation.
✔️ Our system connects the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie… even Oneida, Cayuga & Seneca Lakes.
✔️ It’s 524 miles of navigable waterways. And yes, you can go anywhere in the world from here.
✔️ The Canal Corporation operates 57 locks and 16 lift bridges, support recreational boaters with free passage, and keeps the system moving for commercial shipments and oversized cargo.
✔️ Last season alone, we logged 64,916 lockings!
✔️ Beyond the water? Nearly 4 million people enjoyed the Canalway Trail network in 2025.
Whether you cruise, paddle, fish, bike the Canalway Trail or join a free On the Canals inclusive excursion… your season starts very soon!
#NYSCanals #ErieCanal #ThirdCentury #OntheCanals
