OSWEGO COUNTY - The Oswego River Canal has been closed to all boats due to high water levels and swift current from recent heavy rainfall and runoff. The Oswego Paddlefest, scheduled for Saturday, July 17, is cancelled.

Mercedes Niess, executive director of the H. Lee White Maritime Museum, said that closure of the canal is a necessary safety measure. 

“The Oswego River drainage area is 5,100 square miles,” said Niess. “Its headwaters originate in the southwestern Adirondack Mountains in the east and along the northern edge of the Appalachian Plateau, and flow across the central lowlands before emptying into Lake Ontario. The torrential downpours that we received over the past several days have forced the canal board to close the canal as a safety measure for all boaters, not just paddlers.”

Niess said more than 350 paddlers had registered for the event, which is hosted by the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego.

She said the Paddlefest organizing committee will discuss the closure and re-schedule the event for another date this summer. She thanked the marine public safety agencies involved in Paddlefest for their ongoing support.