Control lock

Lock 8 is a guard lock near the south end of the canal at Port Colborne. Due to the large expanse of shoal water in Lake Erie, changes in wind direction and force create water level changes as great as 11 feet at Port Colborne. Lock 8 serves to pass vessels from the canal to the prevailing water level of Lake Erie. Lock 8 has a usable length of 1,148 feet and a width of 80 feet with 30 feet over the sill. Vessels not over 730 feet long and 76 feet in extreme breadth are allowed transit through the canal during the navigation season.