Big Slackwater
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Big Slackwater
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Big Slackwater is part of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland.
Big Slackwater, created with Dam 4, backed up 22 miles of the river, making a calm lake-like area out of the Potomac. It was one of the places where the canal boats exited the C&O Canal and traveled directly on the Potomac River to bypass the solid rock cliff walls. This was a more economical solution than blasting through solid rock to continue the canal; it also guaranteed enough excess water to keep the channel watered in times of drought.
The Big Slackwater area provides water from towpath mile 84.6 to 62.3 just above Harpers Ferry.
While the C&O Canal was operational, the water was regulated with the Dam 4 stop gate at mile 84.6 and a guard lock at mile 85.8, where the canal boats entered/exited the canal for their trip on the Big Slackwater.
The towpath follows the cliffside here for 3.25 miles before re-entering the canal through either Lock 41 or Lock 42 at mile 88.9. The direction the Canal boat was headed determined which lock was used to raise or lower the boats. There was a 16 feet difference between Big Slackwater and the Canal.
Copyright 2021 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
January 12th, 2021
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