New York State Department of Transportation Division of Waterways Maintenance Inactive Revocable Permits

Chronological by permit number.

This series consists of inactive revocable permits for the temporary use of canal lands and waters filed with the Waterways Maintenance Division of the Dept. of Transportation and its predecessor agencies. Files usually include permit applications, related correspondence between the Dept. of Transportation and the entity or individual applying for the permit, maps, surveys, and drawings or sketches of relevant structures. Sections 55 through 57 (and earlier versions) of the Canal Law authorize the Canal Corporation (or, in earlier versions, its predecessor agencies) to enter into leases for canal lands, canal terminals and canal terminal lands. Such leases are enacted through permits. As reflected in the material in this series, permits can provide momentary usage (i.e., if a contractor requires egress over canal lands for one month) as well long-term arrangements.

Uses approved by permits include agriculture, beautification, boating docks, marinas, pipelines, railroads, spoil, recreation (camps), transmission lines, and water supplies. Permits typically become inactive as uses are outmoded or another permit is issued. Through 1980 permits were given a tripartite number consisting of the year of issuance, month, and consecutive permit number. From 1980 through 1988 permit numbers include year, month, and two consecutive numbers of issue.

Late 20th century permits were filed with their applicable Dept. of Transportation region; copies of these permits were sent to the main Waterways Maintenance Division office in Albany. Occasional gaps exist in the permits where the Albany office did not receive material or a permit was active. Permits became inactive as authorized uses were outmoded or new permits were issued. Permits are summarized in the Annual Reports of the Dept. of Transportation and its predecessor agencies.

B1787Series B1787, Index to Inactive Revocable Permits, indexes this series

B1790Series B1790, Permits for Use and Occupancy of New York State Canal Lands, contains related records

B0201Series B0201, Minutes of the Canal Commissioners and Superintendent of Public Works, originally contained entries of permits for use of or access to canal lands or waters which were later detached and filed with Inactive Revocable Permits

B1789-01 and B1789-10: Container lists are available at the repository.

B1789-15: Folder list is available at the repository.

B1789-15: These records were identified and transferred by principal engineer William Schollenberger of the New York State Canal Corporation in April 2014.

The permits were transferred to the Thruway Authority when all functions and duties pertaining to the state's canal system were transferred to the Canal Corporation.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.