The End of the Hennepin

You can see that the canal, on the right, is higher than the natural waterway on the left.

The Hennepin is a hundred miles long and I recommend it to anyone. You can camp for free on many places, the people in the visitors center are great and you can spend a good amount of time in the solitude of nature!

From whence I came...

At the end of the path the canal continues on into the Illinois River.

On the Hennepin Pt. 2

Cement fence posts were made on site with steel rod reinforcements.  Still standing!

Bridge over the Hennepin.

This one's easier to explain than show. There are several aqueducts along the Hennepin in which the Hennepin crosses over a natural creek.  The Hennepin is its own water system and is not a part of the surrounding water basin. Because the bed of the canal is lined with clay, the system is predominantly above the surrounding grade. In other words,my he water of the Hennepin is above the cornfields as well as the marshland that tends to run alongside the canal.

Normally the aqueduct consists of a cement bridge that carries the canal, along with any barges.  However, instead of repairing aged aqueducts, it has been easier to channel the water coming from the central feeder canal through large pipes under any creeks or rivers and then back up to where the canal continues. 

The actual water flow of the canal is minimal compared to a natural river that handles the fluctuating water runoff of a region. The canal is currently adjusted to allow enough flow to keep the water from stagnating.  

If you look carefully in the last picture, you will see that there is a double wall that holds back the canal and that there is water swirling up from below.

On the Hennepin Pt. 1

Rainbow Connection...

So many Great Blue Herons...

Looking East...