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'Buttermilk Channel' is a small tidal strait in New York City, approximately one mile long and one-fourth of a mile wide, separating Governors Island from Brooklyn in Upper New York Bay. In the 19th Century, the channel could be crossed at low tide, and farmers would bring their cows over to Governors Island for grazing. The name "Buttermilk" may have been a consequence.
In the late 19th Century the channel was dredged extensively by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With current charted depths of 35 to 40 feet, the Buttermilk Channel is still a busy shipping lane and the most convenient access to the Brooklyn waterfront. Its heavy use was historically connected to the Erie Basin terminal to the south and the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the East River. Most recently, large cruise ships and ocean liners, such as the Queen Mary 2, have been tying up at the Red Hook side of the channel, where the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal has been built.
The channel is marked by a number of navigation aids (green cans no. 5 and 7 at the NE entrance, and green gong no. 1 marking low water off the tip of Governors Island). Tidal currents on the channel are rather strong.