Cape Cod Canal

Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal is located in Cape Cod
Cape Cod Canal
Location of the Cape Cod Canal
LocationBarnstable County, Massachusetts
CountryUnited States
Coordinates41°45′51″N 70°34′6″W / 41.76417°N 70.56833°W / 41.76417; -70.56833
Specifications
Length7.4 miles (11.9 km)
Maximum boat length825 feet (251 m)[1]
Maximum boat draft32 feet (9.8 m)[1]
Maximum boat air draft135 feet (41 m)[1]
LocksNone
StatusOpen
Navigation authorityU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
History
Original ownerCape Cod & New York Canal Company
Principal engineerWilliam Barclay Parsons
Construction beganJune 22, 1909
Date of first useJuly 29, 1914 (1914-07-29)
Geography
Start pointCape Cod Bay
End pointBuzzards Bay
Route map
Cape Cod Bay
East Boat Basin
Sagamore Bridge US 6
Herring River
Bourne Bridge Route 28
Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge
Buzzards Bay

The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately 7.4-mile-long (11.9 km) canal traverses the neck of land joining Cape Cod to the state's mainland. It mostly follows tidal rivers widened to 480 feet (150 m) and deepened to 32 feet (9.8 m) at mean low water, shaving up to 135 miles (217 km) off the journey around the cape for its approximately 14,000 annual users.[2]

Most of the canal is located in the town of Bourne, but its northeastern terminus is in Sandwich. Scusset Beach State Reservation lies near the canal's north entrance, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy is near its south. A swift-running current changes direction every six hours and can reach 5.2 miles per hour (8.4 km/h) during the receding ebb tide.

The waterway is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and has no toll fees.[3] It is spanned by the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, the Bourne Bridge, and the Sagamore Bridge. Traffic lights at either end govern the approach of vessels over 65 feet (20 m).

The canal is occasionally used by whales and dolphins,[4] including endangered North Atlantic right whales, which can cause closure of the canal.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b c New England District. "Cape Cod Canal Navigation". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  2. ^ New England District (November 12, 2015). "Cape Cod Canal (Buzzards Bay and Sandwich, Mass.)". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  3. ^ "Cape Cod Canal". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  4. ^ Pearson, Samantha. "Dolphins in Cape Cod Canal Saturday" (Video). Boston: WBZ-TV.
  5. ^ Bragg, Mary Ann (May 9, 2015). "Cape Cod Canal closed after right whale sighting". Cape Cod Times.
  6. ^ "Favorite Places". Archived from the original on September 8, 2008.