Since 1920 the system has served primarily as a destination for recreational boating, but due to its series of dams, locks and bridges, it remains today an essential infrastructure for roads and railways, water level management, flood prevention, and shoreline and aquatic habitat protection.
Depuis 1920, le système attire principalement des plaisanciers, mais grâce à ses barrages, ses écluses et ses ponts, il demeure une infrastructure essentielle pour les routes et les chemins de fer, la gestion du niveau d'eau, la prévention des inondations et la protection des rives et de l'habitat aquatique.