Learn: Glossary of Terms What's the difference between Clinton's Ditch, the Enlarged Erie, and the Barge Canal? Here's a basic definition of terms and canal-related words.   20th century Barge Canal – The currently operational New York State Canal System, completed in 1918.  Successor to the towpath-era canal system.   canal system (also “New York’s canal system”) – Refers to the currently operational New York State Canal System, or to both the 20th century Barge Canal and the towpath-era canals (see below), including associated structures such as locks.  Unless otherwise specified, “canal system” does not include the feeder canals and other non-navigable elements.   canalized – Refers to the modified river and lake sections of the 20th century Barge Canal.  See also “riverways,” below.   Clinton’s Ditch – Nickname for the original Erie Canal.   enlarged canal system – The towpath-era canal system that was modified during the years 1835-1862, including the Enlarged Erie Canal, Enlarged Champlain Canal, Enlarged Oswego Canal, and Enlarged Cayuga-Seneca Canal.   Erie Canal – Refers to the main line of the 20th century Barge Canal or towpath-era canal system, or, in the context of a historical discussion, to the entire towpath-era canal system, which was generally known worldwide as the Erie Canal during the 19th century.   feeder (also “feeder canal”) – Any artificial channel built to supply water to the navigable canal system.  Feeders enter the canal system at or near a summit level.   greenfield – Agricultural properties, parks, or other undeveloped land with high ecological, social, or community value.  The development of greenfields degrades the environment, lengthens commutes, and impedes the efficient delivery of municipal services.  Alternatives to greenfield development include adaptive reuse of existing buildings, infill of vacant lots in existing developed areas, and brownfield development.   greenway – A protected corridor of physically and conceptually linked landscapes, often along a natural or man-made linear feature such as a river, canal, or trail.  Greenways typically feature ecological, cultural, and recreational amenities designed to facilitate the movement and propagation of native species, buffer water bodies and other sensitive habitats from the effects of human settlement, and encourage both short- and long-distance recreational activities.   land cuts – Those sections of the canal system that were excavated, as opposed to canalized sections or riverways.  Nearly all of the towpath-era canal system consisted of land cuts; in the 20th century Barge Canal, the western Erie and northern Champlain are land cuts.   lateral (also “lateral canal”) – Refers to any navigable part of the 20th century Barge Canal other than the Erie Canal – i.e., the Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals.  Some discontinued laterals of the towpath-era canal system – namely, the Black River and Chenango Canals – have been retasked as feeders for the 20th century Barge Canal.   lock – A device used to lift or lower boats from one water level to another.  Locks are used in most canals to bypass waterfalls, rapids, dams, and other obstacles to navigation.  A typical lock consists of a chamber with gates at both ends:  a boat enters through the gates at one end of the lock; the gates are closed; water is added to or released from the chamber until it reaches the level at the other end of the lock; the gates at that end are opened; and the boat continues on its way at the new water level.  Locks on the New York State Canal System are 328 feet long, 45 feet wide, and electrically operated.   New York State Canal System – The official name of the currently operational canal system, also known as the Barge Canal.  Includes the Erie Canal, Champlain Canal, Oswego Canal, and Cayuga-Seneca Canal.   prism – The man-made physical entity that carries the water of the canal system; essentially, a large ditch – hence the name “Clinton’s Ditch”.   riverways – The canalized sections of the canal system.   summit level – A high point in the canal system that separates two drainage districts; water drains away from a summit level in two directions.  The 20th century Barge Canal has summit levels near Rome, between locks E20-21 (supplied by the Black River, Chenango, and Enlarged Erie feeders), which drains west to Lake Ontario and east to the Hudson River; and near Fort Edward, between locks L8-9 (supplied by the Glens Falls feeder), which drains north to Lake Champlain and south to the Hudson River.   towpath – A path alongside a canal used by horses or mules towing boats by means of a rope (“towrope”).  Many towpaths along abandoned canals have been converted into recreational trails.   towpath-era canal system – Refers to the predecessors of the 20th century Barge Canal – both the original system, built 1817-1825, and the enlarged system, built 1835-1862 – which utilized mules or horses to tow the canalboats.  The 20th century Barge Canal did not require towpaths, as canalboats operated under their own power.