The Erie Canal originally rose and fell about 700 feet between Rome, New York, and Buffalo through a series of 83 locks that accommodated changing water levels by acting as boat elevators, letting in or releasing water to raise or lower boats. After being enlarged over the years, its locks today are 328 feet long and 45 feet wide, with a water depth of 12 feet, allowing vessels 300 feet long and 43.5 feet wide to pass through. Marking its 200th anniversary in 2017, the Erie Canal is the oldest continuously operating canal in the United States, and the entire New York Canal System has been designated a National Historic Landmark.