Industrial Canal, Navigation canal in Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans, US

The Industrial Canal runs from Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River and connects two major water routes. The waterway operates through a system of bridges and a navigation lock that manages ship traffic.

The canal was built after World War I to create a new connection between the lake and river. Work began in 1918 as maritime traffic patterns shifted with new trade routes.

Locals call it the Industrial Canal, while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA charts use its official name, Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. The waterway forms the boundary between the Upper 9th Ward on the upriver side and the Lower 9th Ward on the downriver side, and near the lake it separates Gentilly from New Orleans East.

The canal is deep enough for large cargo ships that pass regularly and are visible at work. You can walk along the banks to watch activity on the water or take photos from the bridges that cross it.

The canal's official name is Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, as used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and on NOAA nautical charts; locals call it the Industrial Canal. Its opening ceremony on 5 May 1923 was presided over by Governor John M. Parker, and the work cost 19 million dollars.