The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs from the Hudson River in Albany, NY to Lake Erie in Buffalo, NY.  The canal was developed to create a link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes, thereby opening trade to the American Midwest.  Opened in officially in 1825 (though parts were opened earlier), the canal still operates today, in a much modified form, following the development of the Barge Canal system.  Today, the canal is used predominately for recreation, though it does still support commercial traffic.  More recently the State Canal Corporation has invested money and effort into developing the canal for commercial use. ^[1]