Al and I toured the Gowanus Canal with our friends Jenni and Dan. The Canal, a once active maritime hub constructed in 1860, has been plagued by a slew of environmental problems over the last century due to heavy industry, raw sewage runoff from the adjacent residential neighborhood, and a flushing system that sat inactive from 1961 until 1999.
Our self-guided tour of the Canal was stewarded by the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, who launch canoes, by donation, every other weekend throughout the summer from 2nd Street in Brooklyn. The Dredgers have operated for the last ten years as a volunteer organization, "dedicated to providing waterfront access and education related to the estuary and bordering shoreline neighborhoods".
