East end of the Niagara Peace Bridge, at Buffalo, and the south end of the Black Rock Canal -i

The Black Rock Lock is a

ship lock A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Southe ...

, that allows vessels to bypass rapids on the Niagara River at the outlet of Lake Erie. The lock chamber is long, wide, and rises . The original lock at Black Rock was built in 1833 following the completion of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing ...

. The current, larger lock was completed in 1913.

History

The first lock at Black Rock was constructed in 1833 as part of the Erie Canal. The modern lock was built by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

from 1908 to 1913. It has the facility to house large Great Lakes vessels that have carried essential goods to business and industry in

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY inc ...

. The lock was first rehabilitated in 1975. From 1984 to 1986, the locks guard gates and the operating system were rehabilitated. Since the 1990s many things have been done to provide a safer work environment, such as the installation of new fencing, railing and ladders. Other things like the refurbishing of the lock houses, and the widening and capping of all concrete approach walls have been done as well.

Black Rock Channel

The Black Rock Channel extends from Buffalo Harbor to the Black Rock Lock. The channel's waterway is long. The Black Rock Channel was constructed to provide protection to reefs, rapids and fast currents in the upstream Niagara River. Pleasure craft and commercial vessels can only be long with drafts to to be allowed in the lock and channel. Although both pleasure craft and commercial vessels are allowed in the channel it is required that the pleasure craft yield the right of way to all commercial vessels. There are three bridges that cross the channel. They are the

Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fo ...

, the Ferry Street Bridge and the

International Railroad Bridge The International Railway Bridge is a two-span swing bridge carrying the Stamford Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, United States. It was originally ...

. The Peace Bridge is the first bridge that is passed coming from the south entrance of the channel. The Peace Bridge has a clearance of above Low Water Datum (LWD). The Ferry Bridge is a lift bridge and is the next bridge located from the south entrance of the channel. The Ferry Bridge has a clearance of 17.3 above the LWD. Then for the south channel entrance comes the International Railroad Bridge. This is a swing bridge which has a clearance of LWD when closed.

References

{{coord, 42, 56, 04.4, N, 078, 54, 22.5, W, type:waterbody_scale:5000_region:US-NY, display=title Channels of New York (state) Transportation buildings and structures in Buffalo, New York Locks of New York (state) Erie Canal