Welland Canal "Deep Cut" is a part of the Welland Canal which is located between Allanburg and Port Robinson. The Welland Canal is a human-made/ natural canal system containing a series of locks and movable bridges that allows ships to be transported to and from Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The two mile stretch between Allanburg and Port Robinson (Deep Cut) is only a fraction of the 27.6-mile Welland Canal but presented the canal with its biggest obstacle. The challenge was for the workers to cut through stone (up 20 feet deep), for over two miles through the Niagara Escarpment (60-foot hill). It was designed to help navigate ships to the Niagara River by bringing water from the Welland River. The project started immediately after the canal's official ceremony on November 30^th, 1824. The construction of the canal allowed for deconstruction of local land surfaces, the demolishment of the escarpment topography, and forced disturbance among the earth's natural soil. Along with the change in hydrological regime, led to a clearance of vegetation and wildlife. The construction of the canal led animals, like the sea lamprey, to migrate causing a disruption to other ecosystems. Yet weeks before its opening in November of 1828 the Deep Cut collapsed, causing over 100 confirmed deaths due to a landslide. As a result, the deadline was to be pushed back until further notice. On the daily, 600 workers, along with hundreds of horses and oxen, would work from sunrise to sunset on the Deep Cut until being opened in November of 1829. The canal would go on to contribute to the growth and development of both the American and Canadian economy. Till this day the "Deep Cut" location of the Welland Canal is the only active length in entire canal system to have been intact since 1829.

Municipality: Thorold

Local area name: Allanburg/ Port Robinson

Other identifying names or descriptions Merritt's Channel

Latitude and longitude: Approx. (Middle) 43.057128° N, -79.212178° W

Physical Dimensions

Length: approx. 3.21 km

Width: 310 ft

Surface Area: approx. 510705.40 m²

Elevation:

Highest / lowest point: Water Level (L:170, H:174m), Surrounding Escarpment (L: 176m, H: 189m)

Located through Google Earth

The Deep Cut of the Welland Canal is the two miles (approx. 3.21 km) plus stretch of the 27.6-mile (approx. 44.42 km) Welland Canal between Port Robinson and Allanburg. The overall goal of the Welland Canal was to transport cargo ships between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. At first the main objective was to build a tunnel through the Niagara Escarpment (60 ft high) in which would complete the Canal. With the project introduced by William Hamilton Merritt, the construction did not start until 1824. The job included 600+ workers who made a man-made addition to Welland Canal. The Deep Cut, was not fully functional and complete till 1829. The project took over the timespan of four years to complete because the workers (along with horses and oxen) were simply cutting through pure stone/rock. In 1828, it certainly did not help when the projected tunnel collapsed, causing the deaths in over a hundred people, further prolonging the project completion date (Larkin, 2018). When the Welland Canal was completed, it would go on to contribute to the growth of both the Canadian and American economy. During current timeline the Canal is a part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and is still being used by ships to transport goods. The Deep Cut remains the only part of the ship route that has stayed intact since the building of the first Canal (Jackson, 1991). Now pedestrians can enjoy what's left of natures topography of the Escarpment, while walking alongside massive cargo ships as they travel through the man carved Deep Cut.

Map 1: Welland Canal Deep Cut Map Pinpoint

With the Welland Canal's goal of allowing cargo ships to transported to and from the Great Lakes safely caused disruption to the natural environment due to the Canal being rerouted through what's known as the "Deep Cut". This meant the workers had to dig out the existing land features in order for the Canal to be built. The creation of the Deep Cut has impacted the wildlife and the species that were living in the area due to literally cutting out the escarpment. Not only can ships move between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie but allows aquatic species move freely through the canal, which was not a luxury before. With human activity causing disturbance in the natural environment such as rerouting the canal through a "short cut", leads to the "imbalances in the plant and animal community" (Hough, 2004).

On the other hand, with the Deep Cut cutting through the Niagara Escarpment left the displacement of vegetation. Within the complexity of plants is the fact they are not able to just pick up and move like animals. Plants contain many layers from the plant itself to the soil it grows in. It is visible that escarpment is going through another succession stage/ecological restoration as there is an abundance of weeds, bushes and shrubs growing along the side of the escarpment (Hough, 2004). As well, there is a variety of different types of trees growing in the surrounding area such as Maple, Oak, Spruce, Weeping Willows and others (visible along the walking trail). The City of Thorold induces maintenance along the paths and trails to suit the needs of the pedestrians walking these paths (this includes grass cutting, tree trimming) to ensure the safety of the users further showing that it is a human-dominated space (Marzluff, 2008).

Where the Deep Cut of the Welland Canal is currently located was once part of the Niagara Escarpment. Not only did the handmade project affect the physical features of the land but affected the lives of the animals that once lived there. Those land animals are clearly visible along the paths of the Welland Canal are little critters such as squirrels and a wide range of birds (geese and ducks) live nearby. It is also important to note horses and oxen were used in the development of the canal. With the Deep Cut being made, it had shifted wildlife to either side of the canal. The opening of the canal also led to fluidity amongst aquatic species to migrate between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Sea Lamprey more specifically were able migrate into the Lake Ontario from Lake Erie, causing the equilibrium of Lake Ontario to shift. These parasites were able to suck the life out of bigger fishes in Lake Ontario causing rising population for the invasive species (Daniels, 2000).

The shoreline surrounding the Deep Cut, are the stones that were cut up during the process of making the Deep Cut. As stated before the Deep Cut portion of the Welland Canal is the only section that has remained the same since the birth of the first canal (Jackson,1990). The only noticeable difference was that there were two selections of paths (on both sides of the Welland Canal). There is a leveled gravel path alongside the canal that has been used to aid the development of the canal and then a city-maintained trail that takes on up a portion of the escarpment (as seen the photos) (Merritt, 1852). The city-maintained path is an asphalt path that acts like a seal, leads to the imbalance of heat along the trail, ultimately raising the temperature when the path is contact with sunlight and humidity (Wessolek, 2008). Although when walking up the escarpment one can see water drainage marks from heavy rainfall that leads down to the canal acting as its own drainage system.

On the daily from sunrise to sunset quantities of the earth were removed from 1824 to 1829 (Larkin, 2018). The original plan was to make a tunnel to continue the stream of the canal, but was quickly changed after the tunnel collapsed consuming the lives of over a hundred individuals (and an unknown amount of horses and oxen) due to the sandy soil in 1828. During the construction process of the Deep Cut, over the years the canal was widened and deepened protecting it from future slumping and erosion (Jackson,1990). More changes happened during the years of the Deep Cut being built compared to the years it has been in use.

The land around is split up into farms, forest, and industrial uses.A vast majority of the land is preoccupied with farm land. As well this is also some forestry along the paths and bigger sections of forests. There is also one industrial plant that backs up onto the on to the near edge of the Welland Canal, which can be observed on Google Earth (43° N, 79° W). This industrial car plant acts as a seal with the concrete base lying on top of the earths soil. Also, with the depletion of the Niagara escarpment leads to a loss of vegetation and habitats next to the Deep Cut of the Welland Canal (Wessolek, 2008).

The Welland Canal was developed to transport cargo ships between lake Ontario and Lake Erie. With the elevation differences being approximately 100m amongst both lakes made it a challenge (Farvolden,1970). Therefore, locks had to be installed and intensive water system needed to be implemented in order get ships from lake to lake. As the whole Welland Canal is comprised system of both natural and artificial passageways. There are eight locks that move vessels either up or down 326 feet depending on which way that these commercial ships are heading (ascent: Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, and descent: Lake Erie to Lake Ontario) (Welland Canal, 2015). Although the Deep Cut portion of the Canal may look like a "natural river" at certain points, it is far from it.

The Niagara River is the natural water flowing river that connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. Since the Niagara River runs to the Niagara Falls, makes it unnavigable for ships. Henceforth, with this in mind, William Hamilton Merritt began to plan the construction of the Welland Canal, so ships could transport goods and facilitate trades between the Great Lakes. The development of the Canal would go on to economic growth of both the United States and Canada (Welland Canal, 2015).

Although the Deep Cut portion of the Canal is man-made, its hydrological presence impacts the way ecosystems function. Adding an extra body of water has affected the hydrological processes of the area, as another body of water contributes to hydrological cycle (potentially leads to the increase of precipitation in surrounding areas). With the volume of precipitation increasing, the Deep Cut location that was once part of the Niagara Escarpment, now provides a drainage basin for runoff water of what is left of the escarpment (Alberti, 2008).

Forces including temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation are the driving factors that influence climate (Hough, 2004). With the Welland Canal Deep Cut being located within the Niagara Escarpment, the slopes of the escarpment protect the local farm lands that are on both sides of the Deep Cut from cold air winds, preventing frost on crops (Shaw, 2005). Frost on crops can affect harvest and can kill the food that is produced on the farms. With the addition of the Deep Cut, a man-made part of the canal, with its size and land mass it covers, it can absorb and store high amounts of solar energy. As a result, the body of water is able to sway the overall temperature, as large volumes of water heat up/ cool down much slower rate compared to land masses. Along with climate change inducing global warming, it causes the Earth's freshwater ecosystems to increase in water temperature while decreasing ice cover. Ultimately, resulting the Welland Canal to be open 8- 12 days a year longer (study shows the span of 10 years) (Mason, 2016).

Along with the large number of ships that are passing through the Great Lakes are contributing to the warming of the earth, as these ships most produce toxic fumes that harm the Earth's atmosphere. Not only does it affect the environment around such as the water and air, but the people living in that area (Sofiev, 2018).

Archaeological influences: The first know trace of human existence in the Niagara Peninsula area was in 1300 and 1400 A.D., as it was the home to two of the Native American Tribes of Iroquois and Huron. There were other tribes in the area before the settlement of the European descent. The tribes worked together as they constructed a social hierarchy which included tribes of having farmers, warriors, traders and peace makers. The tribe of Seneca whose tribe was situated closer to Lake Ontario, were not very fond of the the Peoples of Iroquois and Huron. With human nature of greed and domination of land, there were many battles over the years amongst the tribes. This costed the lives of numerous people mainly for the possession of land. Showing that the Native Americans were first to develop the land for farming and developmental growth of the Niagara region. To this day the region is scattered with farm land that travels all the way back to the first settlers of the Native Americans and Ingenious People. Then after 1600 A.D. is when the European settlers to colonize their way of life into the Niagara Region (more detailed info on : https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-municipal-history/the-chronicles-of-settlement-in-niagara/native-american-settlement-in-niagara/)

Land use history:The land that once lied before the Welland Canal Deep Cut, was the Niagara Escarpment. The workers dug through straight stone/ rock to achieve the what is now known as the Welland Canal Deep Cut to complete Merritt's project (Merritt, 1852).

Education / Interpretation:

Walking along the Deep Cut and the rest of the Welland Canal one can find basic information about the Welland Canal on signs, statues and equipment. Although an informational sign can be found beside the bridge of the Allanburg (refer to photos before) that explains brief history of the "Old Welland Canal" . There is also a massive wheel beside the monument, it is an identical piece to which the bridge uses to lift the bridge for incoming ships. When one stands on the bridge looking south, they would be able to have an overview/ perspective of the work that had to be done to complete the cutting of the Niagara Escarpment.

For more information on the history of the Welland Canal there is a St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre located 1932 Welland Canals Parkway in St. Catharines.

Architectural Heritage:

The Deep Cut of the Welland Canal is the only portion of the canal that has been around since the opening of the First Welland Canal. Based on the structure integrity of the Deep Cut, not much has changed other than fact that the water brushing against taking particles of what is left of the Niagara Escarpment. There have been no structural changes made to the Deep Cut of the Welland Canal because it was simply carved into the escarpment. Although one can see the stone steps and wooden tools that were once used to aid the completion of the project.

From the "road" beside the Deep Cut, that Merritt discusses in his academic writing, is still situated beside the Canal (and by the looks of it, it is still in use). In other words, only, the land around the Deep Cut has undergone changes. As there is evidence human made trails alongside the sites path that is city-maintained shows changes to the environment around the Deep Cut.

Recreational Uses:

• Walking/ running on the pathways and trails
• Biking/ mountain biking on the pathways and trails
• Sight seeing
• Bird watching
• Ship sighting
• Free Ferry Service that takes one to and from the ports of Port Robinson

The pathways are under City of Thorold's jurisdictions to maintain and the trails remain informal making it dependable on the users. There is also a park located just before the Allanburg that has a children's playground and two baseball diamonds. As well there is open field spaces that could use for: picnics, sports, and other leisure activities.

Ownership, jurisdiction, access, and management

The Welland Canal was originally owed by the Welland Canal Company, but was bought out by the Canadian government a year before the expansion of the Second Welland Canal (Welland Library, 1973). Therefore, the section on the Deep Cut is under the jurisdiction of the Canadian government. Now the pathways that run around the site are looked after and maintained by the City of Thorold. Leaving it publicly accessible for members of the surrounding communities to use. The land surrounding the Deep Cut is protected by the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Greenbelt Plan. Niagara Escarpment Commission goal is to preserve the escarpment from development because the ecology and geology that this land feature serves. The Greenbelt Plan is enforced to the surrounding area of the Canal to protect the agricultural land from being overly developed (Forster, 2017). Concluding if the Canal was built in this day and age, it would be very hard to get approval for a project such as Deep Cut, as the government has developed stricter by-laws and protection plans in order to conserve the escarpment.

With the Deep Cut of the Welland Canal making a cut in the landscape of the Niagara Escarpment, it would make it difficult for people to get across the Canal. Therefore, from 1913 to 1932 the government accommodated bridges along the canal to satisfy the traffic needs in the area. Port Robinsons Canal Bridge was originally a swing bridge that was built in 1914, then eventually a vertical lift bridge was put in its place in 1933. The Port Robison bridge was operational until 1974, when the Steelton freighter collided with the vertical lift bridge. This explains why there is structural damage to the land. No there is a free boating service that takes people across the canal where the Port Robison bridge once was. The second bridge of the Deep Cut is the Allanburg's vertical moving bridge, which was built in the 1930. This bridge is still standing and operational, but back in 2001 there was an accident where the bridge started lowering before the vessel was clear due to an impaired operator. The ship caught on fire causing closure to the canal for two days, and the bridge remained closed to vehicle traffic for two months.

Landscapes are comprised of intertwining human and natural processes for socioeconomic purposes (Alberti, 2008). In this case the Deep Cut is using natural resources of water to provide for the economic needs of the Canadian economy through passing ships down the canal. The bridge of Allanburg and ferry service on Port Robinson provide the community routes around the canal (or through) to meet the social and potentially economic needs of the people in the nearby area (for example: traveling to work or visiting family).

(More information can be found on: Welland Canal Bridges and Tunnels : https://exhibits.library.brocku.ca/s/welland-canal-bridges-and-tunnels/page/introduction)

More Info can be found upon:

1.City of Thorold

3540 Schmon Parkway,
PO Box 1044
Thorold, ON L2V 4A7

Website: https://www.thorold.ca/en/recreation-and-culture/canals.aspx

Email can be found via link (bottom of the page for email form under- "Email Us"

Tel : 905.227.5613 | Fax: 905.227.6206

Phone & Email Service: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

2.The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre:

1932 Welland Canals Parkway,

St. Catharines, ON L2R 7K6

Open year round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m

website: https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/Wellan...

Phone Number: (905) 984-8880

References

Alberti, M. (2008). Advances in Urban Ecology Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Ecosystems (1st ed. 2008.). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-75510-6

Daniels, R. (2001). Untested Assumptions: The Role of Canals in the Dispersal of Sea Lamprey, Alewife, and other Fishes in the Eastern United States. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 60(4), 309–329. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011032907484

Farvolden, N. (1970). Hydrogeologic aspects of dewatering at Welland. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 7(2), 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1139/t70-025

Forster, P. (2017, August 03). Niagara Escarpment Use & Urban Growth. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://sustainableheritagecasestudies.ca/2017/12/...

Hough, M. (2004). Cities and natural process : A basis for sustainability. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.library.brocku.ca

Jackson, J. (1991). The construction and operation of the First, Second, and Third Welland canals. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 18(3), 472–483. https://doi.org/10.1139/l91-058

Larkin, J. D. (2018). Chapter 6: "The Great Wonder of the Canal". In Overcoming Niagara: Canals, commerce, and tourism in the niagara-great lakes borderland region, ... 1792-1837 (pp. 168-173). NY: State Univ of New York Press.

Marzluff, J. (2008). Urban ecology an international perspective on the interaction between humans and nature. Springer.

Mason, R. (2016). Fine-scale spatial variation in ice cover and surface temperature trends across the surface of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Climatic Change, 138(1), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-016-1721-2

Merritt, W. (1852). Brief review of the origin, progress present state, and future prospects of the Welland Canal by Wm. Hamilton Merritt.

Sofiev, W. (2018). Cleaner fuels for ships provide public health benefits with climate tradeoffs. Nature Communications, 9(1), 406–406. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02774-9

Shaw, A. (2005). The Niagara Peninsula viticultural area: A climatic analysis of Canada's largest wine region. Journal of Wine Research, 16(2), 85–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571260500327630

Welland Canal. (2015). In T. Riggs (Ed.), Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 1459-1460). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3611000978/GVRL?u=st46245&sid=GVRL&xid=bd214149

Wessolek, (2008): "Sealing of Soils". In Urban ecology: an international perspective on the interaction between humans and nature,… 2008(pp.161-179) NY. Springer.

Photos

Bonnycastle, R. (1837) Map of the Niagara District.... JPEG file.

Google Earth (N.D) [Screen Shot]

Patrick, L. (2020) Allanburg Bridge [Photograph]. Source. JPEG file.

Patrick, L (2020) Bridge Wheel [Photograph]. Source. JPEG file.

Patrick, L. (2020) Choice is yours [Photograph]. Source. JPEG file.

Patrick, L. (2020) Port Robinson [Photograph]. Source. JPEG file.

Patrick, L (2020) Sliced and Diced [Photograph]. Source. JPEG file.

Patrick, L (2020)The Old Welland Canal . JPEG file.

Lawrence,T (2017) Researcher studies vampiric silver lamprey . JPEG file.

Lawrence, T. (2019) The rasping mouth of the sea lamprey, an infamous Great Lakes invader . JPEG file.

Welland Canal - Book 2, Survey Map 17 - Deep Cut and Port Robinson. (n.d.).

Welland Canal - Book 2, Survey Map 15 - Deep Cut in Thorold. (n.d.).

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Luke Patrick for the Brock University course TOUR 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 12, 2020.

All copyrights for cited material rest with the original copyright owners.