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Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical ParkPhoto of mule statue at Cumberland, MD
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Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Floods
Photo of flood of January 1996 at lockhouse six

NPS Photo

The C&O Canal has been damaged by many floods over the years.

The C&O Canal parallels the Potomac River; therefore it has always been susceptible to flooding. Devastation from floods eventually put the canal out of business as a commercial operation. 

 

Flood information

Flood photographs
Drawing DaVinci's lock gate design 1485.  

Did You Know?
Transporting goods and people by canal dates back to antiquity. The lock gates used on the C&O Canal were an adaptation of a design by Leonardo DaVinci in the late 1400's. Until the advent of the railroad, water travel was far superior to land travel.

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Last Updated: July 23, 2006 at 19:46 EST