The World Canals Conference wrapped up in Syracuse Thursday with a look toward the future. People came from all over the world with an interest in canals, but SUNY ESF student Meghan Medwid says here in Central New York, it’s not always on the top of people’s minds.
"Sometimes the Erie Canal is sort of an afterthought or it's not used as much as it could be. We can try to do something more with what we have, as well."
Madison County Planner Sarah Krisch says residents might take it for granted.
"It's easy to get used to it being this swampy water body in our backyard. But there's so much more that it could be, so we're trying to look at the different things it can do for our communities that we can build on."
The four day conference brought people together to exchange ideas and discuss the potential of canals here and around the globe. Krisch says the possibilities are endless.
"It's huge, it's so cool! I learned so much hearing what other communities around the world are doing with their canals, just as we're starting to re-imagine what our Erie Canal can do for us in New York State. There's a lot of cool projects from an architectural standpoint, a land use standpoint."
Meghan Medwid shared some ideas from a resources engineering perspective:
"The canal has the potential to move a lot of freight, move it more efficiently with fewer emissions. It also has the potential to produce hydropower, either to supplement the local grid or power canal operations. Then there's the potential to help mitigate flooding. To have that as an option to give us some flexibility into the future is going to be really important."
These visions and others could get some traction as the Erie Canal begins an eight year celebration of its bicentennial.
