Let It Flow
Water and Visitors Are On the Move
At 8 a.m. on June 26, member Bill Getchell left a message on the Friends’ phone, “There’s a strange phenomenon happening here in Point Pleasant. The Canal is full of water, and it’s flowing nicely.”
No, aliens from a watery planet have not dumped their cargo into the Delaware Canal. The water that is now flowing southward is from the Lehigh River, just as it is meant to. The major repair to the stone wall at Lock 20 south of Kintnersville has been completed, sinkholes have been filled, the Park maintenance staff has done some prism clearing, and there are no impediments to having the Lehigh River water flow down the Canal. Knock on wood!
The Park officials intend to let the Lehigh River water flow south as far as it can go this summer. Having it reach Lock 11 in New Hope would be extraordinary because the temporary fixes at Kleinhans Aqueduct south of Easton and at the Tinicum Aqueduct do restrict the volume of water that the Canal can carry. Let’s hope for the extraordinary and more.
All the rain that has been pouring down this summer has kept the Delaware River level well above the level of the New Hope inlet, so the Canal from the former Odette’s site to Bristol has been full, except for drawdowns to prevent the Canal from overtopping its banks during extended downpours. The electrical equipment to run a pump, which will augment the southern end water supply should the River level fall for an extended period of time, is here and ready to be installed when DCNR gives the go-ahead.
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Visitors are flowing more freely along the towpath, too. The official opening of the tunnel through the USX railroad embankment south of Morrisville took place on June 11 with DCNR Secretary
Cindy Adams Dunn and PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards doing the honors. The long-distance trail organizations – the D&L Trail, the Circuit Trail, and the East Coast Greenway – were there to celebrate as well as state, county and local officials, towpath users, and, of course, the Friends. The end of a nearly 20-year-long process to rid the Canal towpath of its most dangerous obstruction was enthusiastically lauded. The railroad lines in the vicinity put on a show at the same time with Septa, Amtrak, USX, and NJ Transit trains all passing by. It was a good demonstration of the need for the tunnel.
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Construction of the pedestrian walkway across the Scudder Falls Bridge on I-295 is underway. When complete the walkway will connect the Delaware Canal and Delaware and Raritan Canal towpaths and be the seventh connector in the PA/NJ Loop Trail system.
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Smithtown’s New Sign
A new interpretive sign stands by Locks 15/16 north of Point Pleasant. It tells the story of settler Joseph Smith, the industry-focused village that he developed, and how the Delaware Canal changed the area. It’s a great story, and the new sign allows it to be shared with the Canal’s many visitors.
A generous contribution from Margaret Copenhaver, in memory of her husband Tom, made the development and fabrication of the sign possible. It is a wonderful, thoughtful gift to the Canal, and we are most grateful. Here Marge describes why she chose the project.
“Tom loved the Canal and was a long-time member of the Friends of the Delaware Canal. When we bought a house between the Canal and Delaware River in Smithtown in 2000, it was a dream come true – a lovely retreat that we could easily visit on weekends, as we looked ahead to moving here permanently to spend our retirement years. One of our favorite things was walking on the towpath on a summer’s day, and rafting or tubing back home on the river. It didn’t get any better than that, with the possible exception of listening to the enchanting concert emanating from the Canal, provided by the always-unseen peepers, announcing that spring and summer were imminent.
Tom passed away in the spring of 2015. Working with Susan Taylor, many ideas were discussed as to what would be a nice tribute to Tom’s legacy, while also being of benefit to the Friends. I’m delighted with the sign and feel it was the perfect choice. I know that Tom would definitely approve.”
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Sawn and Chipped
The Friends helped out the Delaware Canal State Park maintenance crews by contracting with T&T Tree Service for the removal of some of the most problematic trees along the Canal. The initial $6,625 phase of the project went well, so the Friends also were able to fund the $3600 cost to remove two huge trees near the Locktender’s House at Locks 22/23.
Gone are:
- A big box elder tree that had fallen into the Canal in Morrisville.
- A large black locust tree draped over the Canal in Lower Makefield Township.
- An old mulberry tree that was leaning “drastically” over the Canal in New Hope.
- A 400 ft. section of Tree of Heaven saplings on the canal bank in New Hope. The stumps were treated with herbicide, all the better to deprive the destructive invading Spotted Lanternflies of their favorite food.
- Two towering maple trees that threatened Locks 22/23 and the Locktender’s House in Raubsville.
As you can see from the photographs, the project was quite a production number.
Many thanks to you who contributed to the Friends’ Year-End Appeal. Its success made this Canal improvement project possible.
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It Worked!
Last year, the Friends experimented by purchasing a kayak stabilizing device called a KayaArm. Canal Action Team (CAT) volunteers installed the aluminum cradle and post on the north dock at Locks 22/23 in Raubsville, and it was officially tested during a Friends’ Paddle the Canal event. It received enthusiastic thumbs up from both the kayakers and the State Park educators responsible for getting people in and out of kayaks safely.
This success led to the desire to install KayaArms on all the other Delaware Canal docks – the south dock at Locks 22/23 and the two docks at the Durham Aqueduct and Lock. The funding stars aligned, and the Friends were able to buy three KayArms using a past contribution from Riegelsville Borough with Council’s permission. CAT has installed the three, and they are ready for action now that the Canal’s water level has been restored.
Thank you, Riegelsville Borough for helping to promote kayaking on the Canal by making it so much easier and safer to get in and out of the water!
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Sharing the Towpath
Spring brings sunny days, comfortable temperatures, and great numbers of Delaware Canal State Park visitors – bicyclists, hikers, runners, walkers, equestrians, birders, scenery lovers, etc. The Canal towpath, with its many quirks, is required to accommodate everyone, making it so much more important for visitors to be aware of and courteous to each other.
Here are two tips for sharing the towpath trail:
Bicyclists- Please signal your approach verbally or by ringing a bicycle bell. It’s easy to startle others when you’re coming up quickly and quietly. Slowing down would be nice, too.
Walkers – Please stay to the right on the towpath, so that others can pass by safely.
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We Get By with a LOT of Help from Our Friends
Three new Canal Tenders have stepped up to the task of caring for and monitoring sections of the waterway and towpath.
Chris Shebest is working on the Rabbit Run to Phillips’ Mill stretch in Solebury Township.
Keller Arnold has adopted the Levittown Shopping Center to Wheatsheaf Road section in Tullytown Borough and Falls Township.
Christine Curtis is co-tending the Forks of the Delaware to Wy-Hit-Tuk Park area with Bob Barth.
Thank you all! And very special thanks to long-distance traveler, Jeff Connell, who is retiring from his tending duties in the southern end of the Canal.
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Canal Action Team volunteers were very hard at work on June 5 digging holes, pouring concrete, leveling bases, prying open frames as they installed a PA/NJ Loop Trail sign in Morrisville and a new site-specific interpretive sign in Smithtown, removed a damaged directional sign, and replaced sign panels at Lock 11 in New Hope. Josh Gradwohl led the team of Mark Frey, Ed Leydon, Pete Rosswaag, and Collin Stuart.
Next up for CAT – the installation of small signs on each of the six remaining authentic camelback bridges along the Canal.
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Park Updates
June 28 was George Calaba’s last day as Park Operations Manager for the Delaware Canal State Park Complex. He has taken a position in the private sector closer to his home. We wish him all the best! DCNR already has posted the opening and is expediting the selection process in hopes of having a new Manager in place by mid-July.
Two long-delayed projects – replacement of the Kleinhans Aqueduct south of Easton and significant repairs to and around the Tinicum Aqueduct – are going out to bid on July 10. Bids will be received by DCNR on August 8. If all goes well, construction should start this fall. This timing renews hope that both projects can be undertaken simultaneously, thus reducing the length of time that the Canal might be without water.
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Welcome, New Friends
Rosanne Bonaventura
Debra Carrier
Bill Denton
Maria DePiano
Kathleen DiGrazia
Clay Gearhart
Aaron Heimowitz
William Jaglowski and Kevin Clark
Cindy and David Little
Gerald Martina
Donald McCloskey
Linda Mirales-Moran
Marie Progin
Susan Redcay
Ari Spectorman
Ronald Stockham
Donna Wagner
Jordan Yeager
