The Morris Canal’s inclined planes solved the major engineering problem of overcoming 1,674 feet of elevation change across New Jersey. The route was chosen for access to the state’s iron industry and to use the water of Lake Hopatcong, 924 feet above sea level. The canal’s twenty-three inclined planes handled large changes in elevation, while twenty-three lift locks accounted for the rest. At Waterloo, a canal boat descending an inclined plane moved as water rushed through the flume into a turbine in the powerhouse, wire cable wound around a huge cable drum to guide the heavy boat along iron rails, mules crossed the bridge ready to pull the boat toward the lock, and the opening lock gate sent the boat onward on its journey. The Morris Canal Greenway includes part of the historic canal’s alignment and works to preserve the canal’s remains and associated natural environment, interpret canal sites to the public, and offer recreational opportunities, including views of surviving inclined planes, locks, canal bed, and industries and communities directly related to the canal’s operation.
