Come listen with us as we paddel back in time and discuss the history, life, and times of the Gowanus Canal!

Narration by Jos Prol
Script by Ford Fourqurean and Jos Prol
Composed by Brian Ellis 

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Gowanus Canal Canoeing Tour

GLOBAL

Brian Ellis Sound

Hi! Welcome to the Gowanus! I’m [Name], a long time member (president? historian?) of the Gowanus Dredgers. Over the next 30 minutes or so, I’ll be here to give you some history behind the waterway you’re about to explore, the ecology, industrialization that lead to the canal’s pollution, and the cleanup efforts that have emerged in recent years. As you embark, start to explore along the shoreline and make your way up to 9th street.

2 19th Street \|||// Hi! Welcome to the Gowanus! I’m [Name], a long time member (president? historian?) of the Gowanus Dredgers. Over the next 30 minutes or so, I’ll be here to give you some history behind the waterway you’re about to explore, the ecology, industrialization that lead to the canal’s pollution, and the cleanup efforts that have emerged in recent years. As you embark, start to explore along the shoreline and make your way up to 9th street.

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Welcome

Tour Item

English

1.mp3

For centuries, the Gowanus has been a site of continual change and transformation. Once a creek surrounded by marshland, the area was home to the Canarsie band of Lenape people. From glacial shaping to the industrial present as one of America’s most polluted waterways, the canal has been a major artery and part of Brooklyn’s story.

19TH Bond Street \|||// For centuries, the Gowanus has been a site of continual change and transformation. Once a creek surrounded by marshland, the area was home to the Canarsie band of Lenape people. From glacial shaping to the industrial present as one of America’s most polluted waterways, the canal has been a major artery and part of Brooklyn’s story.

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The Oldest Records

2.mp3

Both in the water and along the shoreline, Gowanus is home to a wide range of flora and fauna, seen and unseen. You might notice a cormorant or heron hunting, peanut bunker, mummichog, or Atlantic silverside schooling near the dock, or young blue crabs scampering among the rocks. The pre-industrial marshland of the Gowanus was once a major part of the New York oyster trade. Today you are more likely to find ribbed mussels, a hearty filter feeder, hiding among the rocks in the intertidal zone. This might come as a surprise to you, but as of recent Dredgers mussel surveys, the shore hides hundred of thousands of these bivalves

19TH Bond Street \|||// Both in the water and along the shoreline, Gowanus is home to a wide range of flora and fauna, seen and unseen. You might notice a cormorant or heron hunting, peanut bunker, mummichog, or Atlantic silverside schooling near the dock, or young blue crabs scampering among the rocks. The pre-industrial marshland of the Gowanus was once a major part of the New York oyster trade. Today you are more likely to find ribbed mussels, a hearty filter feeder, hiding among the rocks in the intertidal zone. This might come as a surprise to you, but as of recent Dredgers mussel surveys, the shore hides hundred of thousands of these bivalves

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Flora and Fauna

3.mp3

So much of the shore that you see, or don’t see, was once Tidal marshland until Dutch colonists settled along Gowanus Creek in 1636. They then began one of the many projects to reshape the creek, dredging to allow for easier maritime access and easier transit from Gowanus Bay.

659 Smith Street \|||// So much of the shore that you see, or don’t see, was once Tidal marshland until Dutch colonists settled along Gowanus Creek in 1636. They then began one of the many projects to reshape the creek, dredging to allow for easier maritime access and easier transit from Gowanus Bay.

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Dutch Colonists

4.mp3

The Home Depot used to be the site of tide mills that were primarily used for flour production but had historically sometimes been used for wood cutting. By the 1860s when log ponds were built most of the Gowanus shoreline mills on now landfilled ponds would have been coal steam engine operations.

659 Smith Street \|||// The Home Depot used to be the site of tide mills that were primarily used for flour production but had historically sometimes been used for wood cutting. By the 1860s when log ponds were built most of the Gowanus shoreline mills on now landfilled ponds would have been coal steam engine operations.

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Tide Mills

5.mp3

As you cross towards the steel bulkheads, look out for one of Gowanus’s largest modern exports. These city barges transport over 1600 tons of New York’s trash a day to be loaded onto train cars and shipped to sites in upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

611-625 Smith Street \|||// As you cross towards the steel bulkheads, look out for one of Gowanus’s largest modern exports. These city barges transport over 1600 tons of New York’s trash a day to be loaded onto train cars and shipped to sites in upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

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Gowanus’s Modern Export

6.mp3

As you head towards the tunnel underneath Hamilton Avenue Bridge, keep an eye out for trash, gravel, and scrap metal barges pushed by tug boats as well as EPA contracted barges working to clean the canal. While there might not be much traffic today, a paddler heading into the entrance of this waterway a century ago would have experienced the busiest commercial canal in the United States with industrial vessels carrying out 19 to 22,000 trips per year.

270 Bay Ridge Avenue \|||// As you head towards the tunnel underneath Hamilton Avenue Bridge, keep an eye out for trash, gravel, and scrap metal barges pushed by tug boats as well as EPA contracted barges working to clean the canal. While there might not be much traffic today, a paddler heading into the entrance of this waterway a century ago would have experienced the busiest commercial canal in the United States with industrial vessels carrying out 19 to 22,000 trips per year.

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Hamilton Avenue Bridge

7.mp3

In 1847, Willard Day surveyed the creek and drew up plans for the creation of a single large canal following the existing natural contour, as well as drainage of the surrounding marsh. The wider 100 foot waterway with bulkheads would allow further development and larger access for barges moving from the heart of Brooklyn to basins located in Red Hook and NY Harbor. The project was supported by businessman and local government official Colonel Daniel Richards who pushed for the canal’s development into a hub for trade that could compete with Manhattan’s already bustling waterfront. While these plans did not materialize at the time, they were later picked up by Edwin Litchfield, one of Gowanus’s first developers who bought up over 200 acres of land around Gowanus including parts of park slope and land from Jacques Cortelyou which included the Old Stone House.

593 Smith Street \|||// In 1847, Willard Day surveyed the creek and drew up plans for the creation of a single large canal following the existing natural contour, as well as drainage of the surrounding marsh. The wider 100 foot waterway with bulkheads would allow further development and larger access for barges moving from the heart of Brooklyn to basins located in Red Hook and NY Harbor. The project was supported by businessman and local government official Colonel Daniel Richards who pushed for the canal’s development into a hub for trade that could compete with Manhattan’s already bustling waterfront. While these plans did not materialize at the time, they were later picked up by Edwin Litchfield, one of Gowanus’s first developers who bought up over 200 acres of land around Gowanus including parts of park slope and land from Jacques Cortelyou which included the Old Stone House.

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Expanded Waterway

8.mp3

During the period of time that Litchfield was filling in the marshes with soil from the hills of what would become prospect park and park slope, then known as prospect range, in 1857, Brooklyn became the first in the nation to implement a modernized combined Sewer system designed by Julius W. Adams. The Combined Sewer managed wastewater from households, industrial waste, and outside storm runoff at a time when the health effects of dumping the raw sewage in the canal was not understood. Even at that time, the system size could not handle capacity and residents began to complain of the vile stench and ill effects as the combined sewage overflow made the Gowanus into an open air sewer.

381 Smith Street \|||// During the period of time that Litchfield was filling in the marshes with soil from the hills of what would become prospect park and park slope, then known as prospect range, in 1857, Brooklyn became the first in the nation to implement a modernized combined Sewer system designed by Julius W. Adams. The Combined Sewer managed wastewater from households, industrial waste, and outside storm runoff at a time when the health effects of dumping the raw sewage in the canal was not understood. Even at that time, the system size could not handle capacity and residents began to complain of the vile stench and ill effects as the combined sewage overflow made the Gowanus into an open air sewer.

The Combined (Open Water) Sewer

9.mp3

You might have noticed the Scrap metal barges and heating oil depot. The widening and development of the canal for commercial traffic in 1869 allowed for a buildup of industry across the neighborhood. Industries that had built up along the canal such as coal yards, manufactured gas plants, metal works, and shipyards produced copious amounts of industrial waste. A cocktail soon emerged including sewage, coal tar, and other forever chemicals in the waters of the canal. At the same time, a traveler on the canal might have been sandwiched between house boats, barge traffic, mariners, artisans, and countless south brooklyn citizens as the canal became America’s busiest waterways.

381 Hamilton Avenue \|||// You might have noticed the Scrap metal barges and heating oil depot. The widening and development of the canal for commercial traffic in 1869 allowed for a buildup of industry across the neighborhood. Industries that had built up along the canal such as coal yards, manufactured gas plants, metal works, and shipyards produced copious amounts of industrial waste. A cocktail soon emerged including sewage, coal tar, and other forever chemicals in the waters of the canal. At the same time, a traveler on the canal might have been sandwiched between house boats, barge traffic, mariners, artisans, and countless south brooklyn citizens as the canal became America’s busiest waterways.

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Congestion on the Canal

10.mp3

Gowanus was once home to refining plants that produced gas and other fuel products from coal. A waste product of this process, coal tar, was part of the runoff that made its way into the canal along with other dangerous forever chemicals. As you look across the water, you might notice the remnants of coal tar, the black mayonnaise that bubbles up from the bottom of the canal.

539 Smith Street \|||// Gowanus was once home to refining plants that produced gas and other fuel products from coal. A waste product of this process, coal tar, was part of the runoff that made its way into the canal along with other dangerous forever chemicals. As you look across the water, you might notice the remnants of coal tar, the black mayonnaise that bubbles up from the bottom of the canal.

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Black Mayonnaise

11.mp3

The 9ths street bridge is one of the many modern connectors allowing citizens to transit the canal. On August 27th, 1776, the British army under General William Howe embarked on a surprise attack on George Washington and the Continental army through a little known trail called the Jamaica pass around modern day East New York. A group of infantry known as the “Maryland 400” covered the retreat across the marshland from Vechte–Cortelyou House (the old stone house) as a large portion of the American army retreated, swimming through the water to escape to Brooklyn Heights. While there were heavy casualties and the battle that day was lost, the actions of the 400 allowed the majority of Washington’s troops to fight another day.

527 Smith Street \|||// The 9ths street bridge is one of the many modern connectors allowing citizens to transit the canal. On August 27th, 1776, the British army under General William Howe embarked on a surprise attack on George Washington and the Continental army through a little known trail called the Jamaica pass around modern day East New York. A group of infantry known as the “Maryland 400” covered the retreat across the marshland from Vechte–Cortelyou House (the old stone house) as a large portion of the American army retreated, swimming through the water to escape to Brooklyn Heights. While there were heavy casualties and the battle that day was lost, the actions of the 400 allowed the majority of Washington’s troops to fight another day.

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Jamaica Pass and the Maryland 400

12.mp3

Cleaning for the future - While the EPA dredges the canal to mitigate and remove black mayo and other forever chemicals from the sediment, paddlers are not allowed above the 9th Street bridge except with special approval. The dredgers continue to advocate for a future where all of Brooklyn’s waterways are publicly accessible and safe. Thank you for listening and being part of this mission. Now take the time to explore the sights and sounds of the canal. Until next time!

9th Street \|||// Cleaning for the future - While the EPA dredges the canal to mitigate and remove black mayo and other forever chemicals from the sediment, paddlers are not allowed above the 9th Street bridge except with special approval. The dredgers continue to advocate for a future where all of Brooklyn’s waterways are publicly accessible and safe. Thank you for listening and being part of this mission. Now take the time to explore the sights and sounds of the canal. Until next time!

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BRIAN ELLIS SOUND

Gowanus Canal Canoeing Tour

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