Geocache Identification Permit Approval Number: AMSP20190907023
Permit Expires on: 09/07/22
The "Morris Canal History Tour" series of caches are placed along the canal towpath in partnership with the Waterloo Village Historic Site and the Canal Society of New Jersey to showcase the important early transportation across New Jersey. The Morris Canal connected the Delaware and Hudson Rivers and facilitated development of cities and industry in New York and New Jersey.
A canal is a long man-made stretch of water. Canals have been used for hundreds of years to move people and goods. The Morris Canal was 90 miles long when it was opened from Phillipsburg to Newark, NJ in 1831. When the canal was extended in Jersey City in 1836 it became 102 miles long.
Through a series of water turbine powered inclined planes, locks and aqueducts built above and across rivers, the Morris Canal was the world's biggest hill climber. It was an engineering marvel of its time enabling the canal to overcome more changes in elevation than any other canal in the world … a total change in elevation of 1,674 feet!
The elevation change from the summit to the Delaware River at the western terminus by Phillipsburg, New Jersey was 760 feet as the river was at an elevation of 154 feet. Locks were used to overcome small changes in elevation - up to 10 feet. There were 23 lift locks and 11 guard locks on the main canal. Inclined planes were used to overcome changes in elevation over 20 feet, saving water and time. There were 23 inclined planes on the canal.
Elevation Profile of the Morris Canal
The Morris Canal traversed New Jersey through Warren, Sussex, Morris, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. The water powering the entire canal, using gravity and ingenuity, came from Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake. Lake Hopatcong was enlarged to feed water to the canal in both directions, east and west. Streams, reservoirs and feeder canals were also a source of water.
Map of the Morris Canal
The Morris Canal underwent various changes during its life by combining and eliminating some locks; the canal was deepened, lengthened and widened to transport larger boats. The locks and planes were numbered from the summit both east and west, so Plane 4E, or Plane 4 East was the fourth plane from the Morris Canal summit towards the east and numbered conversely for those on the west of the Canal summit. The inclined plane powerhouses on the east were two stories tall while those on the west were three stories tall.
The canal connected the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvanian’s Lehigh Valley with the New York-New Jersey markets and thus significantly aided in the development of industry and cities in that area. It permitted the revival of the languishing iron industry in North Jersey and generally accelerated the development of the northern part of the state. Farm products, manufactured goods, raw materials and construction materials were also moved. The canal was the primary impetus for these developments because it was the only efficient bulk transportation system in operation in North Jersey during the first half of the nineteenth century. The second half of the nineteenth century saw the development of a more efficient bulk transportation system - the railroads - that eventually put the Morris Canal out of business.