It’s a shame what has happened to one of Albany’s canals, the one that runs down Thurston Street from Seventh Avenue to the Willamette River.
Some day in the future, people may be able to walk, ride or even drive along both sides of the Santiam Canal between Fourth Avenue and 12th in Albany. Now they can’t because five segments of the right of way of Vine Street, which flanks the canal on both sides, are blocked.
The city map of Albany tax lots shows a continuous line of public right of way on both sides of the Santiam Canal from Third Avenue to 12th. But that’s not what you see on the ground.
Vine Street in Albany lines both sides of the Albany-Santiam Canal. Over many years, some property owners have taken over the street right-of-way on one or the other side of the canal, and now the city wants to give them licenses to keep doing so.
Sunday afternoon found the bike and me once again at the gates of Albany’s historic Vine Street water treatment plant and hydropower generating station.
With all the talk about America’s supposedly crumbling “infrastructure,” it might be worth noting that inspections have found two 90-year-old bridges on Albany’s Santiam Canal to be in fine shape.
The explanation: Why this canal was dry
It was something you don’t see very often: Albany’s Eighth Avenue Canal was dry, or almost dry, instead of carrying its usual minimal flow.
Tags: Albany parks, Albany Public Works, canal, Eighth Avenue Canal, Santiam Canal