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"Path Between the Seas" is an excellent read and "must read" research for anyone who wants to seriously discuss these issues. I read it while stationed in Panama, OIC Ft Clayton Health Clinic 1990-1993.

The Nicaraugua route is one of 5 considered by Congress initially. Panama won because of earthquakes and volcanos that threatened all other routes. This remains the same today.

That said, Nicaraugua has the advantage of being a potentially sea level route which is an assest that the Panama Canal does not have and hence is not rain water dependent. Over the decades deforestation of Panama has caused an ever decreasing rainfall which is one factor that makes the Panama Canal an ultimate loser in any case.

Panama was able for a time to overcome the lack of freshwater by storing some in a higher reservoir, I can't remember the name of the lake, but this was a band-aid that allowed them to limp along for a few decades.

A sea level canal would quickly make Panama a second rate passage and it would probably quickly fall into disrepair. (See Panama Railroad...)

"Path Between the Seas" is an excellent read and "must read" research for anyone who wants to seriously discuss these issues.

Yep, a great and memorable read. What a nightmare the building of the Canal was!

Panama was able for a time to overcome the lack of freshwater by storing some in a higher reservoir, I can't remember the name of the lake, but this was a band-aid that allowed them to limp along for a few decades.

It's Madden Lake and it's allowed the canal to limp along for 71 years.

Any canal in Nicaragua will also be a lock canal because it will want to take advantage of Lake Nicaragua to shorten the length necessary to excavate.

You're correct. Estimates for an enlarged Panama Canal are that the new lake needed to supply the locks would have to be 4-5x time size of the present body of water. Who gets to write the environmental impact statement?

The bigger problem in Panama is the unstable soil...landslides occur constantly, dredging is continuous..and the new, proposed canal, besides being wider, would have to be much deeper..which makes the landslide problem much greater.

In addition high susceptibility to hurricanes is listed under negatives, but hey, what's a day or two closure now and then, compared to driving an aircraft carrier through from one ocean to another, of perhaps large oil tankers etc.