The Onega Canal (Russian: Онежский канал) is a canal that runs along the southern banks of Lake Onega in Vytegorsky District of Vologda Oblast and Podporozhsky District of Leningrad Oblasts in Russia. It was built 1818 - 1820 and 1845 - 1852 as a part of Mariinsk Canal System, to allow small riverboats to avoid Lake Onega, where storms are frequent and where many boats had perished through the centuries. The canal is 69 kilometres (43 mi) long and runs between the Vytegra River in the east and Svir River in the west. It is around 50 metres (160 ft) wide, and lies between 10 metres (33 ft) and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the shores of the lake.