The company used the contour of the land to create canal basins, usually located above or below locks. These basins were wide spots in the canal, large enough for boats to load or unload cargo, stop for the night, and attend to minor repairs. They also functioned as mini-reservoirs so water lost through drought or leakage could be replaced by water held in the basins. This basin, between Locks No. 49 and No. 50, also provided a convenient place to wait when traffic jams developed on the canal. Sluiceways were ditches, or troughs, that diverted water around the locks. When a lock was idle, its upper and lower gates were closed. The overflow sluiceway rerouted water around a lock to prevent overflowing while helping regulate water levels, and remnants of the sluiceway at Lock No. 50 remain visible on its right side.