Can canals be built over rivers?

[its so balatrover]

I want to make a canal connecting a lake that my city is next to with a nearby ocean. There are three flatland tiles that I can use for this, but there is a river intersecting one of the tiles. Can I still build canals there?

[tempest.of.emptiness]

I do not believe that rivers factor into which tiles are or are not valid for a canal.

[donald23]

Rivers are between tiles, so no, they don't factor in. You cannot build a canal three tiles long from a city to the coast.
The only way that's possible, is with the Panama Canal. And for that the wonder placement lens will help you when you actually try to place it.
I think it still doesn't factor in rivers, but I'm actually not sure.