Progress, Setbacks and Roadblocks
No one would dispute that the Delaware Canal can be “challenging”, and, for the most part, 2018 has been a good illustration.
Impressive headway is being made on the complicated Phillips’ Mill Bridge replacement project, and, with luck, may be finished ahead of schedule this winter.
The bypass trough that carries Lehigh River water past the bank break by the Tinicum Aqueduct was recently widened and now carries a much greater volume of water to Point Pleasant. Sinkholes near the Mountainside Inn and north of Lumberville prevent the State Park from allowing water to flow farther south. The permanent repair of the bank break is being designed by engineering consultants. DCNR has decided that the aqueduct itself will be repaired rather than replaced at this time.
The “flexible flow concrete” repair technique that the Park has been using on canal prism sinkholes is working well. Unfortunately, new sinkholes are being discovered faster than the contractor has able to take care of them.
The Kleinhans Aqueduct replacement is in the final design stage and should be put out for bids this fall with construction anticipated to begin in the winter/spring, depending upon conditions.
Two stone wall repairs have been finished – the river wall north of the Virginia Forrest Recreation Area and the towpath bank wall in Erwinna.
This season’s crazy storms did a number on the Canal. Raging inflowing streams deposited branches, logs, and debris at the mouth of Windy Bush Creek in New Hope and at the Bowman’s Hill waste gate. A stationary downpour caused the Canal to overtop its banks at one location in Yardley Borough. Localized flooding with property damage was a consequence of both. Clean-up is ongoing, engineering solutions devised, and improved response instituted.
After being repaired and restarted late this spring, the Centre Bridge pump began shutting off nearly every evening during the heat wave. Investigation as to the cause is underway with fluctuating electrical power and the limitations of the safeguard device likely culprits.
The installation of a submersible pump at Bowman’s Hill to supply water to the southern end of the Canal during summer dry spells is moving along at a snail’s pace, primarily because of State purchasing restrictions.
The grass and weeds have grown sky high along the Canal, particularly in the north sections. The primary mower has been out of commission because vandals dumped dirt into its gas tank. Expecting water to be the culprit, not dirt, the Park maintenance staff, followed by the John Deere dealer, tried to dry out the tank several time. And then the dirt was discovered. The mower was back in service only to develop two different problems related to its thermostat, but it’s back in action now working its way south.
The new Lower Limeport Bridge, completed last year, suffered significant damage when one or more large vehicle tried to cross it and hit the sides. Wood rails were ripped from their bolts, guide rails bashed, and there are scrape marks all along the length of the bridge. No one has come forward to confess to the damage.
The Conrail embankment project continues to ¼ inch along. Permitting and permissions have taken an unimaginable length of time. The access, much simpler than originally envisioned, is in and shoring of the south side of the embankment is due to start. This project will not be completed as scheduled in the fall.
The construction of a trail around the Tyburn Road encroachment, an easy project, is languishing in planning and permitting. When that is done, the Park staff will quickly construct the pathway.
Depressions have developed over the culvert that carries the Cuttalossa Creek under the Canal. Sections of the culvert pipe have shifted. Holes will be drilled from the inside and the voids will be pressure grouted.
On top of all this, the already lean Delaware Canal State Park staff complement is four full-time employees short. Missing are two Maintenance Repair persons and one Equipment Operator, which are vital to the upkeep of the Canal; and one Environmental Education Specialist. These positions have been open, for the most part, more than a year. The State’s drawn-out hiring processes ( although, improvements have been initiated), hiring freezes, and the policy of having just one statewide pay scale, in spite of the fact that the cost of living varies greatly across the Commonwealth, all work to keep the Delaware Canal State Park in a constant state of need. These are issues to work on legislatively.
So, with persistence things will improve. They have for the Canal’s 191-year existence.
Onward and upward!
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A New Face at the Locktender’s House
Come by the Locktender’s House at Lock 11 in New Hope and meet our new Locktender’s House guide. Susan Schneider answered our call for someone to staff our mini historic house museum on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. She’s been a member of the Friends for years, lives along the Canal, and knows more than a thing or two about the waterway and towpath. Best of all, she loves meeting people and she knits beautifully, a perfect pastime for sitting on the House porch. Stop by to see her. She’ll be in New Hope on weekends until the end of October. Thanks, too, to Donald Macfarlan, a retired New Hope Mule Barge Ride captain and musician, for filling in when Susan can’t be there.
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Out With The Old, In With the New
Eighteen new interpretive sign panels, which tell the Delaware Canal’s basic story, are in place along the length of the Canal. They’re more colorful, more accurate, and feature a better illustration of lock locations/elevations.
Nine Canal Action Team (known as CAT) volunteers met in New Hope on one of the rare Saturdays in May when it wasn’t raining, reviewed the process of removing the worn-out panels and installing the new, divided into two teams, and headed north and south. As you can tell from the photograph, coaxing old panels from their bases isn’t the easiest of jobs, but CAT accomplished the mission in a full morning. Many thanks!!
The project of improving and replacing the basic wayside signs came together last October when thirteen guests at the Faces and Places fundraiser contributed the funds needed to design and fabricate the new signs. Much effort went to revising text and designing new graphics; followed by a significant period of review, revision, and approval by DCNR and partners.
Now the new signs are in place and their design sets a standard for the other interpretive sign projects that the Friends have underway – a new 3-panel kiosk at Groundhog Lock in Raubsville, nine improved replacement panels in Historic Bristol Borough, and a new wayside sign in Smithtown.
Take a look at the signs when you’re passing by on the towpath, and CAT can always use some more volunteers.
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In the Interest of Ease and Safety
The Friends have purchased a kayak stabilizing device that has been installed on the wooden dock at Locks 22/23 aka Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area in Raubville. The KayaArm was invented and is manufactured in Canada for the purpose of making getting in and out of a kayak at a dock safe and easy. Anyone who has participated in our kayaking adventures at this location knows that a stabilizer would be a good thing.
CAT volunteers Pete Rosswaag and Gene Kancianic installed the KayaArm in July, and we’ll be trying it out during our Paddling the Canal sessions on August 18. It’s a relatively simple device with a cradle and arm that can be adjusted for varying water levels. If it works as advertised, the Friends will consider buying one or two more for other dock locations.
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To The Rescue
Five volunteers have adopted four needy sections of the Canal.
Welcome and Thank you, new Canal Tenders!
Bob Barth – Forks of the Delaware to Wy-Hit-Tuk Park
Mark Greaney – Mueller’s Store to Indian Rock Inn
Thomas Fryer – Lock 17 to Bridge 3
Alex Castner and his son Will – Conrail Embankment to Tyburn Road
In case, you’re interested in being a Canal Tender, the following sections in the southern end of the Canal still need to be adopted:
- Tyburn Road to Mill Creek Road
- Mill Creek Road to the Levittown Shopping Center
- Levittown Shopping Center to Green Lane
- Green Lane to the Bristol Borough Lagoon Park
- Beaver Street to Riverfront Park
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Calendar of Events
In-Water Clean-Up Day
Sunday, August 5, 10 A.M.
Meet in the parking lot of the Bristol Amish Market, 498 Green Lane, Bristol, PA 19007
We’re coming for you, Berm Bank Trash!
On what we hope will be a cool-ish Sunday morning, the Delaware Canal State Park educators will have their fleet of 12 kayaks at the Bristol Amish Market ready to go. Can you be one of the volunteers who will paddle south from Green Lane and extract trash from the towpath and berm banks along the way? Or be an on-land assistant who can unburden the kayak crews of their accumulations?
We’ll need about 12 hearty kayakers and 6 on-land helpers. The Park will provide paddles and PFD’s, in addition to the kayaks. The Friends will supply the trash bags and refreshments. Volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves and come dressed to tackle wet work.
The trash and debris that lies just out of reach along the Canal is really frustrating. This clean-up effort should be a fun and effective way to leap from being frustrated to being finished.
If you can help, please email friends@fodc.org or call 215-862-2021. It’s proven that a clean Canal stays cleaner.
If the water level is low in Bristol in early August, we’ll switch our efforts to the Forks of the Delaware in Easton. If this change is necessary, we’ll put out the word on www.fodc.org.
Paddling the Canal II
Saturday, August 18
10 A.M. – NOON or 1-3 P.M.
Meet in the upper parking area of the Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area aka Locks 22/23, 198 Canal Road, Easton, PA 18042. The parking area is accessed from PA Route 611 and is located between Riegelsville and Raubsville.
This will be the second of four of our ever-popular paddling adventures. We’re pleased to be able to offer an additional date this year in cooperation with the very busy Delaware Canal State Park education staff.
You don’t even have to own a boat to see the Delaware Canal from the vantage of the water. State Park Educator Katie Martens has equipped kayaks ready to be loaned for these morning and afternoon sessions of paddling. They’re perfect opportunities to try out the sport of kayaking.
Our round-trip journey will begin at Locks 22/23. The two locks were combined in the 1800’s, and now the deep, stone structure is the first lock south of Easton, where the rush of Lehigh River water enters the Delaware Canal. The lively southward current requires kayakers and canoeists to put a bit more oomph into their paddling as they head north, but the trip back will be a breeze. The scenery along the way is lovely, especially at St. Paul’s Church in Raubsville; and there are great tales to tell about the lost town of Uhlersville, the remains of the hydroelectric plant that powered the Easton-to-Doylestown trolley line, and “Ripple Rock.”
You may bring your own kayak or canoe and personal flotation device or your may borrow one of the equipped kayaks that the Park staff will have on hand. For each session, there are 16 seats available in 12 single kayaks and 2 tandems.
Registration is required for this activity. Please do so early. You many sign up by contacting 215-862-2021 or friends@fodc.org. They are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are planning to use Park equipment, a $10 per person donation is requested on the day of the event.
Paddle the summer away!
A Multi-Faceted Afternoon in Historic Bristol Borough
Saturday, August 18, 3 P.M.
Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library
680 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA 19007
Historic Bristol Borough is a diamond with many facets. Join us as we discover some of the best.
Our afternoon will begin at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library, beautifully situated along the Delaware River. Two treats are in store there. “Paradise Ditch,” a short 1950’s era film about the Delaware Cana and surrounding area, will be projected. It’s a real period piece including shots of mule-drawn boats, locktenders, and skinny dipping whippersnappers taken during the preceding 25 years.
Also on view will be an exceptional special exhibit, “Made in America: The Grundy Mill and the Business of Spinning Wool. It features the iconic woolen mill owned by Bristol Borough’s foremost citizen and philanthropist Joseph R. Grundy. The daily lives of mill workers and the wool manufacturing process are featured, and the perspectives of industrialists and the political environment of the time are interwoven. It’s a fascinating story with compelling photographs and maps.
Outside, we’ll take in the Library’s lovely rooftop patio garden and walk along the Delaware River using the new Bristol History Trail. There are benches for river and boat watching and a series of interpretive signs explaining the area.
After our Library visit, you are invited to do the Bristol Stroll on your own. (Bristol Stomping is allowed, too.) The Stroll route will lead you down Radcliffe Street and into the center of town. Along the way, you will see exceptional colonial and Victorian buildings, the famous Wharf, the busy new pier and dock, and the monuments in Riverfront Park. The town’s many restaurants and shops along Radcliffe and Mill Streets await your visit.
There is always something good happening in Historic Bristol Borough.
Skirting Scudder Falls – A Late Summer Saunter
Sunday, August 26, 4 P.M.
Meet in the parking lot at the intersection of Taylorsville Road and Mt. Eyre Road, Yardley, PA 19067
A new I-95 bridge is being built across the Delaware River at Scudder Falls. The gargantuan project started a year ago and won’t be complete until 2021. The new bridge structure will span both the Delaware Canal in Pennsylvania and the Delaware and Raritan Canal in New Jersey and includes a pedestrian/bike way with connections to both canal towpaths.
On our Late Summer Saunter along the towpath we’ll get a firsthand view of the current state of the project as well as see two
canal locks. First up on our 2.4-mile roundtrip walk will be the Dyer’s Creek waste gate and overflow south of Mt. Eyre Road. Here we’ll learn about the vital functions of these structures; then on to Lock 7 aka Borden’s Lock. The stone walls of Lock 7 were meticulously restored by the Friends more than a decade ago. The workmanship is well worth admiring as well as the spirit and conviction of the mason who re-laid each stone. Lock 7 is also home to the Delaware Canal State Park Maintenance Area, which has some interesting stories all of its own.
The existing Scudder Falls Bridge and the sprawling new bridge construction site come into view as we cross Woodside Road. Take this opportunity to see the project up close and find out what’s to come, including a new Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission headquarters, towpath trail connections, and comfort facilities in the 1799 House.
Next up is Lock 6 aka Lear’s Lock, which is our turnaround point. Hear some of the colorful tales told by Chester Lear, the son of Lock 6’s last locktender. On our way back to Mt. Eyre Road, we’ll check out the sights that we may have missed on the way south.
Take this opportunity to be in the know.
Paddling the Canal III
Sunday, September 9
10 A.M. – NOON or 1-3 P.M.
Meet at Tinicum Park, 963 River Road, Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972.
When entering the Park, follow the roadway back to the parking area closest to the Canal.
As the fall sets in, we’ll be paddling on the Canal with the advantage of having two historic villages along the route. To the south will be Erwinna, a bustling town while the Canal was in commercial operation. It was home to the Canal Superintendent and boasted all the necessary canal-related businesses, including a boat building yard. Uhlerstown and Lock 18 will be our northern turnaround point. There we can paddle under the only public covered bridge over the Canal and view the buildings that once served the canal trade and now have been lovingly preserved and converted for residential use. Uhlerstown is reputed to be the “best preserved Canal hamlet in America.”
Delaware Canal State Park educator Katie Martens will be leading both the morning and afternoon sessions and will have fully equipped kayaks available to borrow. You may reserve a Park kayak or bring your own canoe or kayak and personal flotation device.
Registration is required. The details are provided in the Paddling the Canal II – August 18 notice. The Park kayaks are claimed quickly, so call or e-mail as soon as you can, particularly if you’re planning to paddle with family or friends.
See the Canal’s historic villages from the water.
Paddling the Canal IV
Sunday, October 21
10 A.M. – NOON or 1-3 P.M.
Meet at the Black Rock Road Picnic Area at the intersection of the Canal and Black Rock Road in Yardley.
Autumn colors will surround us as we paddle south from Black Rock Road through the widest of the Canal’s widewaters. Trees tower overhead where mule-drawn canal boats pulled over to the side to get out of the way of “traffic,“ much like trucks pull over on highway shoulders today.
The Canal widewaters have evolved into abundant habitats where turtles, great blue herons, ducks, frogs, fish and all sorts of other critters can be spotted. In this final paddling adventure before colder weather sets in, we should see an assortment of wildlife, perhaps even the beaver that we saw this spring.
After instructing everyone on kayaking safety and technique, State Park Educator Katie Martens will lead the fleet south both in the morning and afternoon. She will have fully equipped kayaks available to borrow. You may reserve a Park kayak or you’re very welcome to bring your own canoe or kayak and personal flotation device.
Registration is required. The details are provided in the Paddling the Canal II – August 18 notice. Please call or e-mail early, so that you don’t end up on the waiting list. The Park kayak are much in demand.
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Special Events
Canal Walk 2018
September 29, October 6, 13, 20, 27
Before the celebration of last year’s 30th Anniversary, there was a thought to change our Canal Walk around a bit in 2018, perhaps dividing the 58.9 mile trek into eight shorter sections rather the five traditional 12-mile-or-so legs. In fact, we even included a question in Canal News. When only one person responded that he thought that shorter walks would be a good idea and lots of people walked the entire 30th anniversary walk, the thought flew out the window.
So, we will be doing Canal Walk 2018 in the way it’s always been done – five walks conducted over five successive Saturdays. This year we’ll be starting in Riverfront Park in Historic Bristol Borough and heading north to Easton.
It’s time to start getting in shape and find the perfect pair of walking shoes. The full Canal Walk 2018 itinerary will appear in the Fall issue of Canal News and on-line at www.fodc.org. Will this be your year to take on the challenge and enjoy the sights and camaraderie?
Faces and Places – Save the Date…October 14
You are cordially invited to join the Friends of the Delaware Canal for our ninth annual signature event – Faces & Places – A Celebration of the Arts and History along the Delaware Canal. 
The river valley and rolling hills of northern Bucks County are our destination this year as we explore Riegelsville and Durham. On our chauffeured tour will be:
- The stately Robert A. Shimer House on Riegelsville’s Mansion Row. A showpiece of the town’s industrial wealth, the stone mansion was built in 1898 with great style. Today it reflects its Edwardian heritage and the many interests of it current owner, who proudly serves as the local constable.
- The “Roebling Bridge,” one of the most graceful structures spanning the Delaware River. A walk from Riegelsville, PA to Riegelsville, NJ offers memorable views, refreshing breezes, and a bit of Brooklyn Bridge aura.
- Durham, a now quiet village where ore in the hills led prominent colonial investors to erect a nation-building iron furnace. The boats that carried George Washington’s troops were invented here, and a replica will be on view. A walk through the town’s gristmill will reveal the secrets of its inner workings, and the nearby historic houses beg to be strolled by.
- A ride through the countryside down to the river with picture-perfect farms, churches, pristine Cook’s Creek, and lovely vistas along the way.
Ending the day by the Delaware River, we’ll arrive at the historic Riegelsville Inn where drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dinner will be waiting in the dining room and out on the canalside patio.
For more information or to make reservations on-line, visit www.fodc.org and click on the Event link on the homepage or e-mail friends@fodc.org or e-mail friends@fodc.org.
Individual tickets are $150 each; patron tickets are $250. Special sponsorship opportunities are available.
Join us for Faces & Places in the north!
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A Very Ducky Season
Yellow rubber duckies connected the Friends to more than a thousand people this spring and summer. Smiles, creativity, and awareness blossomed. In the spirit of past Canal Festivals, the Friends sponsored “The Great Yardley Duck Race” on June 9 and had duck decorating booths at two First Fridays in Historic Bristol Borough and at the Tinicum Arts Festival. A good time was had by all in support of the Friends’ efforts to improve the Canal.
Many thanks to our volunteer “duck handlers “ – Mark Baldwin, Bob Behney, Robin Butrey, Pam Can, Bart Davidoff, Richard Emmons, Susan Firestone, Margie and Rick Mingione, Susan and Lily Schneider, Larry Reinfeld, Pete Rosswaag, and Jerry Taylor. And we very much appreciate the help of the Bristol Borough Business Association, Tinicum Civic Association, Yardley Farmers Market, Yardley General and Yardley Borough in hosting our ducky activities.
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125 Years of Conservation
On May 30, the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives passed Resolution 901 recognizing the 125th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s state forest and state park systems.
Did you know —-
- A bill signed in 1893 formed the Pennsylvania Forestry Commission, tasked with the control of forest fires and to establish a forest reserve system. The system began with the purchase of 7,500 acres in Clinton County.
- Pennsylvania’s first state park was designated in 1893 to mark a Revolutionary War site. In 1976 it became Valley Forge National Historical Park under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
- Gifford Pinchot State Park is named after the nation’s “First Forester.” Pinchot was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to head the U.S. Forest Service and then served as Pennsylvania State Forestry Commissioner before becoming governor in 1923.
- In 1955, Maurice K. Goddard was appointed director of the Department of Parks and Forests. At the time there were 44 Pennsylvania state parks. Dr. Goddard proposed building a state park within 25 miles of every resident of Pennsylvania.
- Pennsylvania’s New State Parks: A Report to the General Assembly was released in 1957. It studied 175 potential state parks sites, which were evaluated on water, location, topography, subsurface conditions, availability, and scenic and historical significance. Acquisition of the some of the new state parks began immediately.
- Pennsylvania’s state park system was recognized in 2009 as the best in the nation by the National Recreation and Park Association.
- There were nearly 40 million visitors to Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests in 2017, generating approximately $4billion for the economy.
- Today Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s largest state park systems with 121 state parks encompassing nearly 300,000 acres.
- The newest state park in the system is the 500-acre Washington Crossing Historic Park.
To learn 116 more interesting things about Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests and to find out about 125th anniversary events, visit https://paparksandforests.org/
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Hot Jazz / Cool Location
A Concert and Dinner at the Home of Linda Kenyon
Saturday, September 22 at 6 P.M.
3015 North Sugan Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Back by popular demand! Eric Mintel’s music and Linda Kenyon’s dinners are irresistible.
Join us for a captivating evening at a very cool location where you’ll have the chance to enjoy a unique music and dining experience. As you enter Linda’s striking home, you’ll be greeted by friends, spirits and savory hors d’oeuvres. After some mingling, seats will be found, and the acclaimed Eric Mintel Quartet will perform two sets of jazz with Linda’s famous soup served during the break. An elegant dinner creatively prepared by Linda in the best tradition of Julia Child will be ready when the music ends.
Jazz legend Dave Brubeck said, “As long as the music attracts dedicated young musicians like Eric Mintel, jazz will continue to thrive and progress as a voice of freedom.” Joining Mintel on piano will be Nelson Hill on sax and flute, Brian Bortz on bass, and Dave Mohn on drums. The Quartet thrills audiences of all ages and connects with people all over the world.
Bucks County’s Eric Mintel has played piano all his life. His career highlights include two performances at the White House, several concerts at the Kennedy Center, and a special concert at the United Nations.
You won’t want to miss this special occasion!
Donation: $100 per person for the concert and dinner.
Please make your reservations by clicking here, calling 215-862-2021 or e-mailing friends@fodc.org.
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Welcome, New Friends!
Joyce Bigley
Sandy Burdulis
Alex Castner
Chris Cummins
Christine Curtis
Sue and Greg Derr
Mary Lou and Frederick Erk
Carolyn Forcina
Jane and John Grim
Cheryl and Lee Hennessey
John Hommer
Jonathan Kemmerley
Jennifer Koplin
Virginia Kraft
William Larrison
Albert Prohaska
Catherine Neil and Charles Reichner
Rostair Foundation
David Salkin
Lisa Schwartz
Stephan Design Center
Patsy and David Wang-Iverson
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