The Gowanus Canal was roughly two-mile creek in Brooklyn, New York. Though originally a tidal inlet of navigable creeks in saltwater marshland, full of fish, mollusks, and other wildlife, the Gowanus was incorporated into the growing urban fabric of Brooklyn at the turn of the 19th century. As the population grew and industry became more and more important, the creeks and marshland were dredged, drained and expanded, forming a canal.