Views of the Welland Canal prior to, and after, dewatering, as seen at the Heddle Port Weller Dry Docks above Lock 1, and, along the canal bed from the Glendale Bridge to Lock 4.
The canal's 2022-shipping season was extended to Jan.9, 2023, when it closed for the winter.
Inside the Heddle drydock are the ships CSL TADOUSSAC and CSL St. LAURENT.
The water level seen on Jan 9, 2023 at the HPWDD was almost at normal level, maybe a bit lower. But, at Lock 4, below the Flights Locks, on the same day (Jan.9), the water level (seen at 04:07) was already significantly lower, some 8 ft lower, as evidenced by the newly-exposed prism slope being slowly revealed by the dropping water level. And, this was still mid-afternoon on Jan 9th - - - so, for all practical purposes, the canal was already 'closed' mid-afternoon of Jan.9, 2023, to any possibility of through navigation! The remaining available draft (slowly dropping) could now not support a typical cargo ship. And as is shown, just a day later, on Jan.10, the canal below Lock 4 had been completely drained.
At Lock 1, however, we see that there was a slight difference in the water level from Jan.9, 2023, to Jan 10, 2023, but in comparison, it was not yet as fully drained as the below-Lock 4 portion was, on the same day. But, it would soon fully drain out, and it remains dewatered as seen on Feb.13, 2023.
At the portion below Lock 4, the drained canal bed reveals (at 06:52) canal debris. (no cars were found this year!)
A summary of the "Jan-Mar 2023" winter dewatering is that the portion of the Welland Canal below Lock 1, was not drained - and normally isn't - seeing as it is directly connected to Lake Ontario. To drain that area, they'd have construct a massive engineered cofferdam.
Similarly, the entire canal above Lock 7, all the way to Lake Erie, also is normally never drained. At the upper end of Lock 7, a sector Guard Gate holds back the upper canal water, thus keeping the lower canal portions dewatered as needed. Also at the upper end of Lock 7, there is a Stop-Log dam that can be installed, but this year the Stop-Logs were NOT utilized. So as of Feb.13, 2023, the canal was fully drained in the portions from Lock 1, up to the sector gate above Lock 7.
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Update:
On Nov.14, 2023, Boatnerd published the following information:
"St. Lawrence Seaway sets latest closing date ever.
The St. Lawrence Seaway announced Friday the shipping channel’s St. Lawrence River section will close on January 5, 2024.
That’s the latest scheduled closing since the Seaway opened in 1959, according to the Seaway Ship Watchers Network.
The Seaway closed on January 2nd in 1984."
Note they are NOT talking about the Welland Canal portion of the Seaway, but the St Lawrence River portion of the Seaway.
Right here, we see that the Welland Canal was still open on Jan.9, 2023!!
(On Nov.8, 2022, the press was reporting in large headlines: "Welland Canal closing Jan.7" {of 2023}.
Furthermore, the same Nov. 2022 stories reported that the 2022 shipping-season-extension would be the FOURTH year in a row in which the Welland Canal was to be closed after Dec.31.
I am assuming that there will soon be an announcement regarding what day the Welland Canal's 2023 season will end - chances are it will also be extended for several days into the 2024-year.
If so, this would become the FIFTH year in a row that the Welland Canal 's shipping season would be extended for several days into January of the next year.
Note that some shipping can still continue within areas of the upper Great Lakes, even though the Welland Canal is closed during the winter. With the assistance of icebreakers, shipping lanes can be cleared for the movement of some ships.

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