It was pointed out a while ago that The Netherlands had many more canals and dams than we have on The Erie Canal, and consequently, they have more experience. So, lets look at the facts here.
See http://dutchdikes.net for more details
The Netherlands’ dike network extends for over 22,000 kilometres (including dikes that do not serve as flood defences), while the Dutch coastline measures a mere 880 kilometres. I would say they had the edge on us, as it makes our 350 miles look trivial! Many of these ‘dikes’ are coastal, keeping the North Sea out, so their challenges are much greater than ours. Our wave damage is confined to the occasional day boat novice sailor who has not mastered the art of cruising with ‘no wake’.
Lets take a look at their dams/dikes. Try a Google search for “Holland dike images”
Notice anything different between their dike banks and our canal banks?
NO TREES! NO SCRUB! NO BRUSH!
The Erie Canal Vegetation and Rehabilitation Project 