Superior Street Lock on Lateral Canal

The 19th century Lateral Canal (a.k.a. Side Cut) in Ottawa provided water power for industrial businesses positioned along the Hydraulic Basin that drained into the Fox River, and a watercraft access connection to the 1848 Illinois & Michigan Canal. The Superior Street Lock on the Lateral Canal and Hydraulic Basin was backfilled in January 1932 and subsequently paved. Using modern landmarks the lock was located on the east side of Canal Street at the Superior Street intersection. The shallowly buried portion of the lock that is southeast of Canal and Superior Streets has been exposed to view. The lock chamber dimensions were 100 x 18 feet. This lock on the Lateral Canal functioned to lower the water level six feet from the Illinois & Michigan Canal to the Hydraulic Basin. References and historic photographs - see works on Ottawa by John Hilliard at the Reddick Library.