to the north to cross the area in which the National Mall is now located. The canal then turned sharply to the west, joining a straightened and channelized Tiber Creek, which had earlier flowed westward. After traveling westward along the route of Tiber Creek, the canal entered the Potomac River at the outlet of the creek, which was south of the White House. As originally built, the Washington City Canal was shallow and only accommodated boats drawing 3 feet of water or less. The canal's design did not adequately handle tidal variations of the Eastern Branch. As a result, the canal sometimes overflowed its banks at high tide, and/or experienced insufficient water levels at low tide. Traffic through the canal continued but financial problems persisted, and in 1831 the city purchased the canal corporation. The city effected some repairs during the 1830s and Congress appropriated some additional funds during 1833. Also in 1833, an extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was completed. That extension, designated as the Washington Branch of the C&O Canal, enabled the C&O Canal to connect at a new eastern terminus with the western terminus of the Washington City canal at the outlet of Tiber Creek. A lock was built to connect the two canals, and about 1835, a lock keeper's house was built. The lock keeper's house now stands at the southwest corner of Constitution Avenue NW and 17th Street NW, near the National Mall. In 1849, Congress appropriated some additional funds to clean out and deepen portions of the canal, on the condition that the city provide matching funds. The city made some improvements to the canal, but it experienced problems with contractors and staff, and the planned work was not completed during the 1850s. During this period, with the increasing development of railroads, interest in canals decreased among both businessmen and government officials. Decline By the late 1850s, the Washington City Canal had become disused, as had the Washington branch of the C&O Canal. During the Civil War years the canal deteriorated further and was serving as both a sewer and storm drain system for the central part of the city. Various proposals were made to either rehabilitate the city canal or fill it in. Congress appropriated some funds during 1866, but no work was done at that time. In 1871, Alexander "Boss" Shepherd, the city's director of Public Works, directed that the