Often canals had to pass over rivers and creeks. If the river was too wide, the canal would empty out into the river, the boat would follow the river for a certain distance, and then enter a canal on the other side. Usually there were a set of locks which raised or lowered the canal boat down to or up from the river. More often, however, aqueducts were A canal boat prepares to cross the creek via the aqueduct. Burr Arch construction.
Excess water spills out from the wooden aqueduct.
The canal boats would float high above the water below. The Duck Creek Aqueduct is the last of its kind. It was built in 1846 and rebuilt in 1949. When you visit Metamora, you can take a ride on the canal boat, the Ben Franklin III , and cross Duck Creek on the Aqueduct. For more information about other activities at Metamora and the Whitewater Canal State Memorial, see the links below.