ABSTRACT
Canals can be created from scratch or they can be extensions of existing rivers. They are used for transportation and for irrigation and often connect two larger bodies of water. Some canals incorporate dams and weirs to control the flow of water. A canal lock is a physical construction that helps lift or lower a boat between changes in water level of a canal. New York's Governor DeWitt Clinton proposed a solution to the problem of transporting resources across America: a canal that would connect Lake Erie directly to the Hudson River. One of the most important canals in Eurasia is the Suez Canal, which runs through Egypt and connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The Panama Canal is an interesting example of a self-contained system: hydrothermal power is collected from the motion of water over dams, and this power is then used to operate other aspects of the canal system.
