Editing Cape Cod Canal (section)

{{Short description|Waterway in Massachusetts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox canal
| name                    = Cape Cod Canal
<!------------------------- IMAGE -->
| image                   = Image:Cape Cod Bourne Bridge and Railroad Bridge.jpg
| image_size              = 
| alt                     = 
| image_caption           = The [[Bourne Bridge]] with the [[Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge]] in distance
<!------------------------- MAP -->
| map                     = {{Location map | Cape Cod
|    = 295
| lat_deg = 41 | lat_min = 45 | lat_sec = 51 | lat_dir = N
| lon_deg = 70 | lon_min = 34 | lon_sec = 6 | lon_dir = W
| caption = 
}}
| map_size                = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of the Cape Cod Canal
| pushpin_map             = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_size        = 
| pushpin_map_relief      = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
<!------------------------- LOCATION -->
| location                = [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]
| country                 = [[United States]]
| coordinates             = {{Coord|41|45|51|N|70|34|6|W|region:US-MA_type:waterway|display=inline,title}}
<!------------------------- SPECIFICATIONS -->
| length_mi               = 7.4
| length_km               = 
| lock_length_mi          = 
| lock_length_km          = 
| lock_length             = 
| lock_width_m            = 
| lock_width_ft           = 
| len_ft                  = 
| len_m                   = 
| max_boat_length         = {{convert|825|ft}}<ref name="usace-nav">{{Cite web |last = New England District |title = Cape Cod Canal Navigation |url = https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Cape-Cod-Canal/Navigation/ |publisher = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers }}</ref>
| beam_ft                 = 
| beam_m                  = 
| max_boat_beam           = 
| max_boat_draft          = {{convert|32|ft}}<ref name="usace-nav"/>
| min_boat_draft          = 
| max_boat_air_draft      = {{convert|135|ft}}<ref name="usace-nav"/>
| min_boat_air_draft      = 
| locks                   = None
| current_num_locks       = 
| original_num_locks      = 
| elev_ft                 = 
| elev_m                  = 
| max_elev                = 
| min_elev_ft             = 
| min_elev_m              = 
| min_elev                = 
| total_rise              = 
| status                  = Open
| navigation_authority    = [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]]
| original_length_km      = 
| original_length_mi      = 
| length_note             = 
| original_lock_length_km = 
| original_lock_length_mi = 
| lock_length_note        = 
| original_lock_width_m   = 
| original_lock_width_ft  = 
| lock_width_note         = 
| lock_width              = 
| len_in                  = 
| original_boat_length_m  = 
| original_boat_length_ft = 
| original_boat_length_in = 
| len_note                = 
| beam_in                 = 
| original_beam_m         = 
| original_beam_ft        = 
| original_beam_in        = 
| beam_note               = 
| lock_note               = 
| elev_note               = 
| min_elev_note           = 
| xfield1                 = 
| xvalue1                 = 
<!------------------------- HISTORY -->
| former_names            = 
| modern_name             = 
| present_owner           = 
| original_owner          = Cape Cod & New York Canal Company
| engineer                = [[William Barclay Parsons]]
| other_engineer          = 
| date_approved           = 
| date_act                = 
| date_began              = June 22, 1909
| date_use                = {{Start date|1914|7|29}}
| date_completed          = 
| date_extended           = 
| date_closed             = 
| date_restored           = 
| xvalue2                 = 
| xfield2                 = 
<!------------------------- GEOGRAPHY -->
| direction               = 
| begin_coord             = 
| end_coord               = 
| branch                  = 
| branch_of               = 
| connects_to             = 
| start_point             = [[Cape Cod Bay]]
| original_start          = 
| start_note              = 
| end_point               = [[Buzzards Bay (bay)|Buzzards Bay]]
| original_end            = 
| end_note                = 
| xfield3                 = 
| xvalue3                 = 
| module                  =
| routemap                = {{Cape Cod Canal map|inline=y}}
}}

The '''Cape Cod Canal''' is an artificial waterway in [[Massachusetts]] connecting [[Cape Cod Bay]] in the north to [[Buzzards Bay]] in the south, and is part of the [[Intracoastal Waterway|Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway]]. The approximately {{convert|7.4|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} canal traverses the neck of land joining [[Cape Cod]] to the state's mainland. It mostly follows tidal rivers widened to {{convert|480|ft|m}} and deepened to {{convert|32|ft|m}} at mean low water, shaving up to {{convert|135|mi|km}} off the journey around the cape for its approximately 14,000 annual users.<ref>{{Cite web |last = New England District |date = November 12, 2015 |title = Cape Cod Canal (Buzzards Bay and Sandwich, Mass.) |url = https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Cape-Cod-Canal/ |access-date = February 24, 2016 |publisher = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers }}</ref>

Most of the canal is located in the town of [[Bourne, Massachusetts|Bourne]], but its northeastern terminus is in [[Sandwich, Massachusetts|Sandwich]]. [[Scusset Beach State Reservation]] lies near the canal's north entrance, and the [[Massachusetts Maritime Academy]] is near its south. A swift-running current changes direction every six hours and can reach {{convert|5.2|mph|km/h}} during the receding ebb tide.

The waterway is maintained by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] and has no toll fees.<ref name="canal-nav">{{Cite web |title = Cape Cod Canal |url = http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/ccc/navigation/navigation.htm |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090618002030/http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/ccc/Navigation/navigation.htm |archive-date = June 18, 2009 |access-date = May 23, 2009 |publisher = U.S. Army Corps of Engineers }}</ref> It is spanned by the [[Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge]], the [[Bourne Bridge]], and the [[Sagamore Bridge]]. Traffic lights at either end govern the approach of vessels over {{convert|65|ft|m}}.

The canal is occasionally used by whales and dolphins,<ref>{{Cite news |last = Pearson |first = Samantha |title = Dolphins in Cape Cod Canal Saturday |publisher = [[WBZ-TV]] |location = Boston |type = Video |url = http://boston.cbslocal.com/video/7529217-dolphins-in-cape-cod-canal-saturday-courtesy-samantha-pearson/ }}</ref> including endangered [[North Atlantic right whale]]s, which can cause closure of the canal.<ref>{{Cite news |last = Bragg |first = Mary Ann |date = May 9, 2015 |title = Cape Cod Canal closed after right whale sighting |work = [[Cape Cod Times]] |url = http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20150509/news11/150509397 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title = Favorite Places |url = http://capecodcyclist.8k.com/cccanal.htm |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080908100604/http://capecodcyclist.8k.com/cccanal.htm |archive-date = September 8, 2008 }}</ref>