Is It Gross And Disgusting To Swim In The Erie Canal In Rome?

Is it gross to swim in the Erie Canal in Rome? Is it completely normal? Let's share what local Romans think about it.

Growing up here in the Rome and Westmoreland area, my Dad always told me never to go in the water at the Canal. He claimed it was disgusting, full of waste, I would get sick, you name it. During Canal Fest this last summer, I saw people swimming in it. I didn't know what to think, after spending a lifetime thinking the water wasn't the greatest. Sure, I've seen people boating, I've been boating on the canal......but I've never been in the water.

There is a mixed bag of opinions on this topic in  various Rome Facebook groups.

1) Zach Schrader says to wear shoes if you do because the Zebra muscles are bad and might hurt your feet.

2) Deborah Cole-long says there is an under current and that you should never swim in the canal.

3) Sheila Palmer Feldman says that it's gross and smells.

4)  Jade Streifert says that it's gross and the amount of fishing lures in there would make you nervous.

5)  Kami Jones says that it is definitely dirty and smelly, along with absolutely no visibility underwater. She would not recommend it.

Would you swim in it? Text our app and let us know how you feel.

History Of The Canal

The Erie Canal was the most successful 19th Century project of its kind in the United States. It reduced transportation costs across the state by more than 90 percent, and reduced the typical six-week wagon trip from Albany to Buffalo to merely a week on the canal. Tolls were charged to pay for the canal, and it was so busy that it showed a profit in only ten years. You can read more here from the Rome Sentinel.