The Erie Canal connected the Hudson River at Waterford (Albany area) with Lake Erie, effectively linking New York City via the Hudson to the Great Lakes region. This created a continuous waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, with the canal system later expanding to connect to Champlain, Oswego, and the Cayuga-Seneca lakes, among others. [web results indicate: Erie Canal connects Hudson River at Waterford to Lake Erie; related connections include Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain, Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario, and Cayuga-Seneca Canal to the Seneca/Cayuga Lakes]