Following the Flow - Stop 3

Centerport Aqueduct
A CanalTowners Event

An aqueduct is a bridge of water that carries the canal over a dip in the landscape. The dip can be cre-
ated by a stream, a river, or a low spot such as a valley. The canal water was contained in a wooden
trough that was supported by the stone piers. The photos below shows the recently rebuilt Camillus Aq-
ueduct. (The railing to the left of
the canal water marks the struc-
ture, as do the stones to the right
of the water.) At this point the
canal is crossing over a large
stream.

As the canal passes over the

stream, the earthen canal banks
are replaced by wooden walls and
stone piers. This wall can be seen
in the second photo. During the
canal era, the wood used was not
treated in any way, and it rotted
away within 8 to 10 years. When
the wood reached a point where it

could no longer be patched, it

was replaced during the winter
months. Over the years since
the canal was closed down, the
wood has rotted away, leaving
the stonework that you see
today. There were 33 aqueducts
on the enlarged Erie.

The Centerport Aqueduct

crossed Cold Spring Brook,
which gives it its other name,
the Cold Spring Aqueduct. At
75 feet 6 inches long, it is the
8th smallest on the Erie. It was
completed in 1857 at a cost of
$36,000. This aqueduct and the entire section of canal from Port Byron to Jordan was not opened un-
til 1858, waiting on a dispute over a route change in Port Byron. Until this matter was settled, the canal
commissioners were able to use the original canal by temporarily raising and widening it. This stopgap
measure limited the draft of boats, harming the business of boating along the entire canal.

The first canal passed to the south of this place. A bit of the first canal can be seen on the 1890’s map
on the next page. The first canal crossed
this stream on its own aqueduct which has Parking Lot
been noted on the map. The stream origi-
nally ran through the CD structure and on
to the north. The location of the new
enlarged aqueduct was 1500 feet to the
east of the original aqueduct and stream.
Once the aqueduct was finished, the route
of the stream was moved rerouted to flow
through it. With the stream moved, the
new enlarged canal could be built. This
was all part of a straightening plan that re-
moved many of the twists built into the
first canal.
EC aqueduct
There was once a bridge over the canal
just east of the aqueduct. This can be seen
in the stonework walls and the stones in
the grass. As with all canal bridges, the
bridge had to be long enough to cross
both the canal and the towing path.

Note that this aqueduct uses a spillway

above the dam to create a pool of still wa-
ter. This was built to help settle out sedi-
ment before it reached the aqueduct.
Then as the water flowed over the dam, it
was suppose to help flush out the sedi-
ment loads under the structure. Over the
years, the pool has filled in and the sedi-
ment load now builds between the piers.
This structure was completely cleaned out
about 15 years ago (1995). Since then the
sediment load has been replaced by high
water events.

Aqueduct Park was first conceived of in

the late 1950’s, when the State DOT
forces began to clear brush from around
the aqueduct. In 1960, the Weedsport
Lions Club joined the effort to create a
park / historical area. The effort contin- CD aqueduct
ued throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s.
The park was dedicated on May 31, 1975.
Since then the war memorial has been
added to remember those who have
fought through the years.
N