ERIE CANAL TO CLOSE EARLY THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF DROUGHT!!

The Erie Canal will close to recreational and commercial traffic a bit earlier this year. Because of persistent drought conditions in the Mohawk Valley. The New York State CanalCorporation will close the state's canalsystem to recreational traffic on Nov. 1st, and to commercial traffic on Nov. 7th. That's a week ahead of the originally schedule closing date of Nov. 15th. The change in scheduling is one of many ways the corporation is working to conserve water. The Canal has closed before nov. 15th before, but never as early as Nov. 1st, according to the corporation's website.