One can never say that dealing with the Delaware Canal is dull – especially this summer. In the last issue of Canal News, we reported that the unexpected berm bank blowout just north of the Tinicum Aqueduct had been treated as an emergency, much to the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ credit. Bi-State Construction tackled the stabilization quickly, and the towpath trail was reopened to visitors. In short order, the creation of a temporary water channel was undertaken to keep the Lehigh River water flowing southward. We very much appreciate that DCNR allowed this project, which endorses the value of keeping water in the Canal.
Formed with concrete Jersey barriers and plastic liner, the temporary channel has a limited water volume capacity. As this article is being written in early September, the Lehigh
The Tinicum temporary water channel.
River water has slowly made its way south from the Tinicum Aqueduct to Point Pleasant. We hope that it will make its way even farther, but the level of water in the Canal in the affected section will be low, a “maintenance level.”
DCNR has determined that the preferred course of action for the Tinicum Aqueduct and its problematic northern berm bank is to repair it for an estimated $327,000, rather than replace it. Currently there is no “project funding” available at the State level, so the project will not move forward. (Given the PA State budget dilemma, it’s hard to tell when that may be.) The “repair” decision is dismaying in that the replacement of the Tinicum Aqueduct, a low volume steel beam trough, will move low on the list of Canal structure improvements.
Additional water may be on its way to the Point Pleasant – New Hope section of the Canal if Forest Park Water, a partnership of the North Penn and North Wales Water Authorities, can allow some of the water from the Point Pleasant Pumping Station to be diverted into the Canal. The Canal use has been approved by the Delaware River Basin Commission, but the implementation had been delayed by Forest Park’s need to supply additional water to the Limerick nuclear power plant.
Meanwhile, the Canal water levels in the north from Easton to Tinicum and in the south from the New Hope inlet to Bristol have been unusually high, due to this summer’s many rainfalls. In late August, the Delaware River did drop below the level of the New Hope inlet causing the levels in the southern end of the Canal to drop, but not to a level of concern. The Friends’ continue to pursue the installation of a centrifugal pump in the River adjacent to the Boy Scout camping area in the northern section of Washington Crossing Historic Park. This installation is currently being reviewed by the Delaware River Basin Commission. The centrifugal pump can augment the water level when the Canal is water starved by the River, usually for a few weeks in the summer. We’ve been very lucky this year to not have to deal with that problem.
The use of the centrifugal pump that has sometimes pulled Delaware River water into the Canal at Durham and a new pump installation at Marshall’s Island in Tinicum also will be considered by the Delaware River Basin Commission in November.
The good news for the middle section of the Canal is that the replacement of the Lower Limeport Bridge south of Centre Bridge is finished. It turned out well and features faux camelback trusses similar to those installed on the Redfield Bridge.
The Lower Limeport Bridge
The bad news is that the Canal has gone dry from Centre Bridge to Lock 11 in New Hope twice in recent weeks. Once when a week’s worth of hot sunny days coincided with the Centre Bridge pump being turned off to allow Bi-State Construction to remove the temporary roadway at the Lower Limeport Bridge construction site. The second loss of water occurred when the Centre Bridge pump broke down. A new drive shaft for the impeller is being fabricated in Chicago, and the pump should be back in service by mid-September.
Progress is slowly being made on overcoming two of the Canal obstructions in the southern end of the Canal. Even though bids for the passageway through the Conrail embankment at the Morrisville Borough-Falls Township border came in $1.6 million higher than the allocated funding, PennDOT and DCNR have agreed to split the additional cost, so the project may move forward as soon as October.
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has agreed to cover the cost of the materials needed to construct a simple detour around the Tyburn Road obstruction. DCNR will provide the labor and equipment for the project. A Memorandum of Agreement for use and maintenance between PennDOT and DCNR is currently being reviewed by PennDOT at the Harrisburg level.
The Friends and the Delaware Canal State Park receive many calls about newly fallen trees or trees that have lain in the waterway for a long time. Ever since Hurricane Sandy, trees along the Canal have fallen weekly and sometimes daily. The Park maintenance staff’s first priority is to clear the towpath, and then clear the waterway as manpower, time, and equipment capabilities allow. A huge tree that has fallen into the Canal from an inaccessible berm bank property can sometimes require calling in a professional tree service. There simply have been more trees with which to deal than the Park can handle. Are there any tree services that would like to contribute a day or two of work along the Canal?
As always, the Friends carry on – planning, implementing and helping as friends do. We won’t be confounded.
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What Shall We Call It?
There’s something new at the Black Rock Road Picnic Area in Yardley. In addition to the benches, the bulletin board, and the parking, there’s now a small, yet tall, white building standing at the northern edge of the property. Inside the white building is a blue plastic portable toilet, which seems to be a very welcome addition to the site. And how did all this come to be?
As you probably are well aware, the 58.9-mile-long Delaware Canal State Park has a distinct lack of bathroom facilities. Two full-service comfort stations were built in the early 2000’s – one at the Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area in Raubsville and one at the Virginia Forrest Recreation Area in Solebury Township. A restroom facility, built by DCNR and maintained by the Borough of Morrisville, is located along the towpath just south of the Calhoun Street Bridge. There is also a restroom connected to the Maintenance Garage at the Park Headquarters in Upper Black Eddy. Portable toilets have been placed by the Park at the Forks of the Delaware Canal in Easton and in the Giving Pond parking lot in Tinicum Township. If the need arises at other locations, park visitors must use facilities in adjacent local parks, in nearby businesses, or resort to the never popular “green room.”
Inspired by the simple, but aesthetically pleasing portable toilet enclosures along the river shore in Oxford, Maryland, the Friends proposed a prototype project to Josh Swartley, the Park Manager. If the Park would agree to place and maintain a portable toilet at the popular Black Rock Road Picnic Area, the Friends would pay for the materials to build an enclosure similar to the ones in Oxford. Friends’ Canal Action Team aka CAT volunteers would build it.
Day 1 – A working lunch – pizza and paint.Day 3 – Building wall panels.Day 5 – The pieces come together.Day 6 – Almost done.
Park officials thought it was worth a try and gave the go-ahead. Plans were finalized, materials ordered, and the e-mail was sent asking for volunteers interested in carpentry and painting. Ten people answered it. On Monday, July 24 a crew assembled at the Yardley Maintenance Area and started to cut the boards to size and stain them. Two workdays later, the fabricated panels were ready to be transported to Black Rock Road. One day of grading base stone and platform building was followed by erecting the walls and putting on the corrugated roof. Between four and seven volunteers participated on each workday, and, in a mere seven days, the enclosure was ready complete with a traditional quarter moon cutout.
The CAT volunteers brought their expertise and tools to the job and labored for a total of 228 hours.
MANY, MANY THANKS TO
Josh Gradwohl
Jerry Taylor
Ed Leydon
Collin Stuart
Jim Puzo
Rick Mingione
Jim Drisoll
Elizabeth Bennett
Chuck Bennett
Gordon Heisler
and the Delaware Canal State Park Maintenance staff for transporting the panels, providing a generator, supplying the base stone, and being helpful in general.
A blue plastic portable toilet was installed inside the enclosure about a week after its installation. Two orange chrysanthemums now stand by the enclosure door welcoming those in need. The Park and the Friends hope that Park visitors will appreciate and respect the new handicapped accessible facility.
And now to the important question, what should the small, yet tall, white building be called? It began as an “aesthetically pleasing portable toilet enclosure,” a name that is much too long. While at work, the CAT volunteers dubbed it the “Potty Barn,” but it’s not really a barn and the Pottery Barn probably wouldn’t be too pleased. A “comfort station” seems to make it more than it is. There are at least two votes for “Potty with a Porch.” What would you name it?
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Still Challenging
A new Legacy Fund Challenge, established with personal funds from the Friends’ Board of Directors, was announced in the summer issue of Canal News, and three people have stepped up to meet that challenge. A long-time member once again demonstrated her support, a participant in one of our Paddling the Canal events donated, and Gordon and Barbara Heisler of Washington Crossing contributed shares of appreciated stock.
Accompanying the Heisler’s donation came this note:
“ We really enjoy the Canal and its surroundings a lot. We’ve had three houses, two in Lower Makefield and now one in Upper Makefield, and have never lived more than a half mile from it (always well higher than it, however). We ridden bikes on it for 35+ years and remember when the towpath was a 2-foot wide trail that would only accommodate one mountain bike at a time. It’s come so far. Last Saturday, when we saw the kayak paddlers, we had already encountered over 50 people using the towpath. It’s such an incredible resource for the area. The Friends have championed so many improvements and the post-flood rehabilitation projects that we are glad to be able to help out some.”
To date, the Legacy Fund Challenge has generated $4,350, of which $2,175 came from private contributions and $2,175 in matching funds from the Board. That means that $7,825 of the original $10,000 challenge is still waiting to be met.
Please don’t let this opportunity pass by. To contribute to the Legacy Fund Challenge, you may click here or mail your check to Friends of the Delaware Canal, 145 South Main Street, New Hope, PA 18938. Gifts of marketable securities or real estate, bequests, gifts from tax-deferred retirement plans and life insurance policies are also options.
You can help the Friends do more.
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Park Manager’s Report
Let me start off by thanking the Friends of Delaware Canal for the new portable toilet enclosure that was built and installed at Black Rock Road. The volunteers put a lot of time and hard work into this project and should be commended for a job well done. Since the installation of the portable toilet into the enclosure, the new facilities have seen a significant amount of use and have provided a valuable amenity to the Park visitors in this area. Thank you!
Since my last report, Park staff have once again discovered multiple sinkholes in the Smithtown to Virginia Forrest Recreation Area of the Park. Repairs to these holes were completed at the end of August. This section of the Park tends to be a problem area with sinkholes, due to the canal bed being built only a few feet above the bedrock below. Sinkholes tend to form in areas of the bedrock that are fractured or where voids exist in the rock formations below. These voids and fractures allow water to flow under the canal liner which eventually erodes away and forms a sinkhole.
The new approach to fixing these sinkholes is to excavate down to bedrock, exposing the void and/or fracture. Then the area is filled with flowable concrete fill which seeps down into the voids and fractures, sealing them off to prevent water from flowing under the canal liner. This new approach has been in use since April of this year and, so far, appears to be successful.
Emergency repairs to the Tinicum Aqueduct have been completed. The towpath has been stabilized and reopened for public use along with stabilization work to the northern aqueduct abutment and wingwall. Park staff and a contractor were also able to install a temporary bypass at the aqueduct which allows for a minimal or maintenance flow of water to be sent through this section of the Canal. Final repairs will be forthcoming once funding has been allocated for this project.
Also, within the next year we anticipate several other projects starting along the Canal. They include the replacement of the Philips’ Mill Bridge in Solebury Township, replacement of the Kleinhans aqueduct in Williams Township, a pedestrian passageway through the Conrail embankment obstruction in Morrisville, and the rerouting of the trail around the Tyburn Road obstruction in Falls Township.
Enjoy the Canal!
Josh Swartley
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Lack of Ghosts
What happened while this Harvest Moon rose over the Canal?
For being 185-years-old, the Delaware Canal has surprisingly few ghost stories associated with it. There are no shortages of stories about less than stellar behavior – the goings on at Devil’s Half Acre and the brawling boatmen come to mind – but there seems to be a dearth of other worldly experiences.
In the spirit of Halloween, we ask you to use your imagination and share your ideas about where something spooky may have happened along the Canal and why it happened there.
We have no intentions of fabricating “new” history, but we would like to invite you to have some fun thinking about places along the Canal in a new way.
In October, 1982, thirty people gathered at the former Towpath House Restaurant in New Hope for what would become the first official meeting of the Friends of the Delaware Canal. The group was led by Betty Orlemann, who each day peered through her kitchen window overlooking the Canal in Smithtown and realized that “the canal needs help.” In attendance at the first meeting were former legislators Jim Greenwood and Peter Kostmayer; then Park Manager, Gene Giza; former historian from the Easton Canal Museum, Lance Metz; Virginia Forrest, who had been instrumental in having the Canal designated a National Historic Landmark, and many other concerned residents. Betty Orlemann was elected as first President and today continues to call in regularly to get a personal report about what’s going on.
Betty Orlemann, the founder of the Friends of the Delaware Canal.
Much has happened during the past 35 years – a list much too long to be contained in this newsletter. There have been heartrending challenges like the floods and there have been uplifting successes that have made the Canal all the better. The Friends have worked hard and had a lot of fun along the way.
With the extraordinary support of our growing membership, business sponsors, volunteers, Board members, Delaware Canal State Park staff, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and all who take part in our numerous activities, the Canal moves closer to being the sustainable asset that it’s meant to be.
The Friends has evolved from a small grassroots organization to what it is today, a multi-faceted, vibrant organization that strives to sustain a link to our heritage, protect beautiful and diverse natural areas, and provide an array of educational and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. Our members and volunteers take their stewardship very seriously and strive to ensure that this dynamic treasure remains in good stead for future generations.
Come to the Friends’ Annual Meeting on November 14th to see our Powerpoint presentation of photos taken during the last five years. It will highlight the highs and lows as the Canal and the Friends emerged from the flood years, as well as the excitement and satisfaction of creating new initiatives and activities. Will you see yourself?
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He of Great Achievements
What do you call someone who is good at everything?
All-knowing Google wil lead you to the word “polymath” – a person known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.
The Friends’ answer is “Peter Sperry.”
Peter Sperry about to undertake the installation of a Mile Marker.
We would like to pay tribute to Pete’s many achievements as he closes out his 15 years of service as a member of the Board of Directors. It is difficult to overstate Pete’s many lasting contributions to the Friends and the Delaware Canal. Since becoming involved with the Friends nearly 20 years ago, he has initiated and implemented complicated projects bringing his expertise as a scientist to bear.
He participated in myriads of meetings, programs, and events, and his evaluation and organizing skills smoothed the way through many a project. His focus is on effectively accomplishing things now and having them sustained into the future.
Two of Peter’s most remarkable achievements are the Delaware Canal Mile Marker project and the development of the Landmarks and Mileage Chart. He carried out each with his characteristic precision and tenacity.
The Mile Marker project was explained in detail in the summer issue of Canal News as Pete and volunteers embarked on replacing the markers that went missing or were damaged during the flood repair work.
Perhaps the most useful of Pete’s accomplishments is the development of the Landmarks and Mileage Chart that can be found on the Friends’ website. The chart encompasses the Canal’s full length from Bristol (Mile 0) to Easton (Mile 58.9). It provides distance information for landmarks along the Canal such as roadways, bridges, locks, aqueducts, parking areas, restrooms, historic sites, etc. Simply put, it lets you know what is where. It has proven to be an invaluable resource for Park visitors for trip planning purposes, for the Park staff and DCNR engineers, and for the Friends in planning early everything. A testament to the chart’s influence is that the State now refers to Park projects by their mileage location.
In November, 2014, Ellen Ferretti, former Secretary of the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, presented Pete with a special award for his outstanding dedication and performance as a volunteer, especially noting his work on these two projects.
Pete has never failed to step up to a camelback bridge repair and painting project, enjoys the challenge of working with data, especially if it results in the Friends’ getting new members, and he is a champion of the Legacy Fund, which ensures the future of our organization. And to top it all off, he served as as Board President in 2005 and as Treasurer from 2006-2017.
Pete’s departure from the Board of Directors will leave a huge void, but the Friends are very pleased that he, his wife Barbara, and his family will continue to be active members of our organization.
Since my last report, the Park Maintenance Staff has been able to plug up and repair all of the sinkholes in the northern section of the park. We began re-watering the upper section of the Canal at the end of April, and by mid-May the Canal was watered from Easton to New Hope. This was the first time in years that this section has been completely watered.
Then, on June 4th a large blowout was discovered along the berm-side of the Canal at the upstream end of the Tinicum aqueduct. The blowout drained the canal in this area and prevented any water from flowing south of the waste gate near the Golden Pheasant Inn. The towpath was also closed in this section due to the instability of the berm, walls, and aqueduct abutment.
The blowout at the Tinicum Aqueduct.
DCNR was able to secure emergency funding and execute an emergency repair contract on June 19 to begin stabilization work on the aqueduct, walls, and towpath. Currently, the contractor is in the process of making these repairs and we anticipate a completion date in mid to late July.
The stabilization work will allow us to open the towpath up again, but will not allow water to flow south. Before any additional work can be completed, DCNR’s design consultants will need to complete some additional inspections of the structure and do geologic testing at the site. Then the plans for a complete repair can be developed, and the project can be put out for bid. In the meantime, after the stabilization work is complete, we will attempt to install a temporary bypass at the site to allow some water to flow through the site and south toward new Hope.
On a more positive note, river levels remain high, enough to provide water to the southern half of the Park from New Hope to Bristol. Good water levels are also being maintained in the north from Easton to Uhlerstown.
I’m pleased to announce that the Conrail Pedestrian Tunnel project in Falls Township has been advertised by PennDOT on its ECMS (Engineering and Construction Management System). The bid opening date is scheduled for July 13, 2017. Barring any issues with the bidding process, the initial job conference and possibly construction could begin as early as October 2017. This project has been a long time in the making and will be a major improvement for visitors who use the towpath in the Morrisville and Falls area. The pedestrian tunnel will eliminate one of the final three trail obstructions along the Canal.
The completion date for the reconstruction of the Lower Limeport Bridge in Solebury Township has been extended to early August, 2017 because of problems procuring the lumber for the faux camelback trusses.
Enjoy the Canal!
By Josh Swartley
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A Pattern to Break
May 2016 – The Canal was watered from Easton to the Virginia Forrest Recreation Area in Solebury Township. The flow from the north was being released through the waste gate at the Recreation Area so as not to inundate the work site of the Redfield Bridge. The pump at Centre Bridge, 1.3 miles to the south, was filling the Centre Bridge to lock 11 in New Hope stretch thanks to the contributions from New Hope for Our Canal. From the New Hope inlet south to Bristol, the water level was good thanks to the Delaware River inflow.
And then came the leaks at the Kleinhans Aqueduct south of Easton. To prevent the collapse of the entire structure, the DCNR engineers ruled that water could no longer flow through it. Much to DCNR’s credit, it quickly moved forward with the installation of two 60″ pipes and associated coffer dams to allow Canal water to flow through the aqueduct structure without exacerbating the structural problem.
The pipes served their intended purpose, but the flow volume through the aqueduct area was reduced, and the water from the north made it no farther than Lumberville unless it was supplemented with rainwater.
May 2017 – The Canal was watered from Easton to Lock 11 in New Hope. In fact, on May 26, the water from the north was flowing over the Centre Bridge coffer dam for the first time in many a year. Hopes were high that the use of the Centre Bridge pump could be reduced saving $1,400 per month in electricity costs. The Canal from the New Hope inlet south to Bristol was beautifully full.
And then during the night of June 4 came the berm bank blowout at the Tinicum Aqueduct located just south of the Golden Pheasant Inn in Erwinna. See the Park Manager’s Report on page 1 for details. Again much to DCNR’s credit, the situation was declared an emergency and a contractor is working on the repair of the site. Plans are being made to install a system through which the Canal water can be run until the aqueduct can be replaced.
The one, if only, silver lining of the blowout is that the replacement of the Tinicum Aqueduct will be expedited. The existing structure is nothing but a steel I-beam trough that was put in place in 1952. The trough constricts the flow volume, so having a new aqueduct capable of carrying a full volume will be a great benefit to Smithtown, Lumberville, and all points south.
The Delaware Canal as it can and should be.
TWO YEARS. Two times when all seemed well with the Canal. Two failures related to aqueducts that quashed hopes for a fully watered Canal.
On the positive side:
In 2017 the Canal has been fuller for longer periods of time than it was in 2016.
DCNR continues to move quickly to restore water to the Canal.
DCNR is taking more proactive steps to identify problem areas and plan for their repair or replacement.
There’s no doubt about it, the Delaware Canal can be a heartbreaker, but we also know that it fills so many hearts with joy. Together we will continue to advocate and work for the Canal that we all desire. A Canal with patterns that are positive.
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10,452 and Climbing!
Nearly 10,500 people are now our Facebook Friends, and here’s a reason why…
Be our Facebook Friend, so you won’t miss photos like this.
On June 24, Carole Mebus took this photo of the juvenile Bald Eagle that was hatched in a nest on a Delaware River island visible from the Canal towpath.
Throughout this year’s breeding season, Carole has been capturing images of the Bald Eagle parents, the huge nest in a sycamore tree, the parents sitting on the nest, the eaglets popping their heads out, and now a “teenager” showing its independence.
All the photos were posted, day-by-day, on the Friends of the Delaware Canal Facebook page. Carol’s amazing photos of nature along the Canal aren’t to be missed.
Consider becoming a Friends of the Delaware Canal Facebook Friend and watch for a new presentation by Carol next year.
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Marking the Miles
While walking or biking along the 58.9-mile Delaware Canal, it’s natural to wonder “What mile is this?” Fifty-nine answers to that question do exist if you look down and to the side of the towpath.
Pete Sperry and the upper Black Eddy Ready Response Team (UBBERRT), aka Pete Rosswaag, Larry Reinfeld, and Roger Keller were caught in the act of installing Mile Marker 46 by Dave and Audrey Barber from Massachusetts. Dave is the President of the American Canal Society and was there to see how the Delaware Canal was faring.
The current system of granite Belgium blocks cut with the appropriate mile numbers and set in concrete at ground level is the successor to two earlier marking projects. A few older wooden markers followed by plastic “flippers” installed in the mid-1990’s by former Board member John Nay and his grandson Josh can still be found. Both the wood and the plastic, which stood above ground level, could not withstand the wrath of park mowers.
Then along came Pete Sperry, who, after participating in his first Canal Walk, was filled with “where” questions. He became a member of the Friends’ Board of Directors in 2012, and jumped into documenting and setting distances correctly on the towpath. His approach was two-pronged. A more lasting type of mile marker had to be found and installed at accurate intervals, and a detailed chart of mileage and landmarks needed to be developed.
After consulting with the Park Manager, Pete set his course to install the Belgium block system. He inspired his fellow Board members to embark upon a mile marker fund-raising campaign, which was enthusiastically supported and quickly completed. (A list of the donors can be found at www.fodc.org under The Canal/Maps/Mile Markers.). Pete’s next step was to determine the correct locations. Through a painstaking process of using historic maps, a measuring wheel, and his GPS unit, he found that the beginning point of Canal now lies in the Delaware River in Bristol. From that point, he measured and calculated the points going north to the end of Easton.
With locations pinpointed, Pete hand-selected the granite blocks, had the numbers sandblasted by a local gravestone maker, and then drilled and fastened an anchor bar in each stone. Twenty-four energetic volunteers came forth to undertake the digging, concrete mixing, pouring, placing, filling, and finishing needed to place the 59 markers.
As with most Canal stories, there are a few buts. The floods of 2004, 20o5, and 2006 greatly impacted the mile marker project. The severe damage to the Canal banks prevented the installation of some of the markers, and earth had to be replaced around some of the already installed markers. (It is a testament to the quality of the volunteers’ work that mile markers stayed in place even though the banks around them were heavily eroded.) Lastly, quite a few markers did not survive the heavy construction involved with the flood repair work.
Pete and volunteers have been tackling marker repair and replacement projects on a periodic basis ever since the floods. This spring, three construction-damaged Mile Markers were replaced.
Mile Marker 13 in Yardley
Mile Marker 31 in Lumberville
Mile Marker 46 in Upper Black Eddy
The crew will head to Easton to tackle Mile Markers 57 and 58 in the fall. When these two blocks are installed, the Mile Marker system will again be complete from #1 at the Grundy Mill in Bristol to #58.9 at the Forks of the Delaware in Easton.
When you’re out on the towpath, look for the markers and thank all the people who were dedicated to putting them there.
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One Fine Day
Community crews and Canal Tenders joined forces on Saturday, April 8 to give the full length of the Canal its spring cleaning. 340 volunteers turned out for the Friends’ annual Clean-Up Day. Collectively they spent 785 hours clearing trash, debris, and vegetation from the towpath and accumulated 348 full bags of trash and 17 tires.
The Proof is in the Egg
Friends welcomed spring by hiding 15 plastic eggs along the towpath from Easton to Bristol. Inside each egg was a coupon for a Friends’ tee shirt or a Canal Critter finger puppet. By the end of May six of the 15 eggs had been claimed. Nine eggs may still be out there waiting for you to find them. What the egg hunt proved is that Delaware Canal visitors come from near and far. The finders were from Bethlehem, Easton, Lederach, and New Hope in Pennsylvania and from Stockton and Trenton in New Jersey. We’ll have another hunt next April after Canal Clean-Up Day, so keep your eyes peeled!
Just Good Old Fun
More decorated boats, more decorated ducks, and more people! The Delaware Canal Festival held on June 16 at the Lagoon Park in Historic Bristol Borough was the best yet.
Defying a gloomy forecast, the weather on the evening of the Festival was perfect. Youngsters, oldsters, and in-between flocked to Lagoon Park to indulge in the offerings of the food trucks and have fun decorating ducks, playing games, listening to the pop/rock band Finster, and finding out about local organizations. They were also there to see the creativity and ingenuity shown off in the Decorated Boat Parade, the Decorated Duck Contest, and a Cardboard Boat Float. It’s always wonderful to see families and friends working together on their entries.
The Friends thank their fellow event co-sponsors Historic Bristol Borough and Raising the Bar and also Allied Electronics, Driftwood Water Adventures, Grundy Commons, Mignoni Jewelry, Penn Community Bank, Blue Chip Cpopy Center, and numerous individuals for generously supporting the event. It takes an enthusiastic community to make a good event happen, and Btistol Borough is exactly that.
The Board has a Challenge for You
The 11 members of the Friends’ Board of Directors have committed $10o,000 of their personal funds to create a new Legacy Fund Challenge. Each dollar contributed by you and other Friends’ supporters will be matched from the Board’s contribution pool. The goal of the Friends of the Delaware Canal Legacy Fund is to provide a sustainable and reliable source of additional income to support the mission and activities of the Friends into the future. Since the Fund reached it s threshold value of $100,000 in 2011, each year the Board has voted to withdraw a sustainable amount (between $4,000 and $6,000) to supplement our organization’s income from membership, donations, and fundraising.
The Legacy Fund investments have done well over the years. Assuming no significant market retreat, if an additional $20,000 can be contributed, the Legacy Fund balance will reach $200,000. At that level, the Legacy Fund can provide 10% of the Friends’ annual income, which is used to fund our projects, activities, and advocacy work. To help grow the Legacy Fund, you have a number of options:
Outright gift of cash, marketable securities or real estate
Gift from a tax-deferred retirement plan
Bequest in your will
Gift of a life insurance policy
To contribute now, you may go on-line and click on the Legacy Fund Challenge button on the homepage of www.fodc.org or mail your check to Friends of the Delaware Canal, 145 South Main Street, New Hope, PA 18938.
Why I Love the Canal
By Board Member Judy Franlin
In New Hope, the Canal forms a tranquil green space that contrasts with the bustle of the community’s many restaurants and shops. From my home, I can watch dog walkers, moms, and dads with strollers, school kids, bikers and hikers all enjoying this natural and historic marvel. It reminds me that the Canal belongs first to the people, and we all share in keeping it clean, watered and safe for everyone.
Faces & Places
SAVE THE DATE: October 8
You are cordially invited to join the Friends of the Delaware Canal for our eighth annual signature event – Faces & Places, a Celebration of Art and History along the Delaware Canal.
This year we will head south to Bristol Borough, a prize-winning small town overflowing with history and vitality. Our chauffeured tour will include:
The splendid Margaret R. Grundy Museum and its riverside grounds and garden. This Victorian house renowned for its woodwork and original furnishings, was home to Bristol’s illustrious citizen Joseph R. Grundy and his sister.
Canal Works, an 1880’s era industrial building that was used over the years by a wallpaper printer, a seed company, and a radio equipment manufacturer. It has been masterfully rehabilitated and is now occupied by numerous up and coming businesses. The owner of Canal Works has created a two-floor display of Canal photos and fascinating documents and artifacts from the businesses of old.
Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Distillery, located in the historic Grundy Woolen Mill complex, makes small batch, classic rye whiskey with natural local ingredients. Esquire named it “one of the 10 best distilleries in America outside of Kentucky and Tennesee.”
The Bristol Wharf at the foot of Mill Street, the heart of the Borough. A short walk will lead to Riverfront Park with its new pier, the Canal Basin, the King George II Inn, the shops of Mill Street, and some Bristol stomping going on.
When the tour concludes, join with friends, old and new, at the Centre for the Arts on Mill Street for spirits and an abundant array of hors d’oeuvres and desserts catered by the King George II. Highlighted at the Centre will be vintage and new canal and river-themed art works that will be up for sale, either direct or by auction.
Final inspection day at Woody’s Camelback Bridge. From left to right – Randy Myer, contractor; Gene Gelfand, DCNR engineer and guardian or camelbacks; Bilal Baqui, DCNR engineer; Josh Swartley, Delaware Canal State Park Manager.
Twas the week before Christmas when contractor Randy Myer of R-Shell Exteriors arrived at the Woody’s Camelback Bridge work site south of Easton. Almost single-handedly, Randy assembled the cribbing to support the bridge structure, dismantled the deteriorated parts, and then undertook the carpentry and metal work necessary for the restoration. He worked while frigid winds blew and the ground was snow-covered all to accomplish his goal of having the job done by mid-February.
Woody’s Camelback Bridge is now the fifth of the six authentic camelback bridges to be restored. Randy did a masterful job! The work has been inspected and approved by the State engineers, and all that remains to be done is to stain the wood when it has aged a bit and the weather is warmer.
The restoration of this historic camelback bridge would not have been possible without the financial support of those Friends who made contributions specifically for this project during the Year-end Appeal. Our organization was able to pay for the labor costs solely using new contributions designated for Woody’s. The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources paid for the materials.
The Friends gratefully thank the 37 supporters of Woody’s Bridge, of whom the following made major donations:
The Goodfellow Fund
William Farkas
Robin and Jeff Connell
Judy and Joe Franlin
Carole and Fred Mebus
Barbara and Peter Sperry
Anonymous
AND thanks to the unprecedented generosity of all of our Year-End contributors, the Canal Improvement Fund now has a balance that beckons another project.
A historic, picturesque, and useful camelback bridge has been preserved and funds are available to tackle another improvement initiative. May the coming year continue on this positive track.
Board member Bill West left the Board in February because of his extended out-of-state time commitments. Always enthusiastic about Friends’ fund-raising events, Bill was a key player in making them happen. He was also tuned into what was happening along Canal because of his frequent and far-reaching walks along the towpath. Bill, we’ll miss you!
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All the members of the Board of Directors welcome your assistance questions, and advice. If you are interested in learning more about becoming involved in a Friends’ committee or becoming a member of the Board, please contact President Brett Webber at bw@bwadesign.com
Well, I thought we were going to have an early spring this year, but Mother Nature proved me wrong. Nothing like a blizzard to test the endurance of our park maintenance crew.
The Lower Limeport Bridge replacement project in Solebury Township is progressing, but the contractor ran into a problem with the east bridge abutment. It was found that the abutment was built on top of rubble and loose soil instead of a concrete foundation. The contractor has demolished the old abutment and will be building a new concrete abutment with a concrete foundation to remedy the issue.
Design work still continues for the Phillips’ Mill bridge project, also in Solebury Township. The design consultant is still working with PennDOT to work through some issues and obtain a Highway Occupancy Permit.
Since my last Park Manager’s Report, we have had another stone wall collapse in New Hope by the Waterworks Condominium Association property. This collapse was a little larger than some of our previous wall repairs, but the Park was able to hire a contractor and make the repairs within a few weeks.
The Woody’s Camelback Bridge restoration and repair work has been completed. Thank you to the Friends of Delaware Canal for all of your help and fundraising efforts to make this project happen.
Finally, we have several sinkholes in the northern section of the canal that need to be repaired before we can start filling the Canal from the Lehigh River. The sinkholes are located by the Easton Sewage Treatment Plant, by the Blue Moon in Raubsville, between bridges 2 & 3 in Smithtown, and one just south of the Virginia Forrest Recreation Area. Our plan is to begin these repairs as soon as weather permits, and the towpath is in suitable condition to operate heavy equipment. We will then start adding water from north to south as we complete repairs.
On April 9th one dozen eggs will be hidden along the Canal from Easton to Bristol. Find one and your prize will be a Friends of the Delaware Canal t-shirt. Just follow the instructions inside the egg. Happy Hunting!
The PA/NJ Canal Loop Trail system is marked with 12 signs located near to where the towpaths and the river bridges intersect. The signs have been providing information to park visitors for more than 13 years. Age has caught up with the fiberglass imbedment panels, and most now are deteriorated to the point that they cannot be read.
A grant from the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau (Visit Bucks County) has enabled the Friends to have new panels fabricated and to purchase a sign base to replace one that was damaged by a truck. The new panels will feature a new and improved map that provides more information about distances and graphics that are easily understood.
The PA/NJ Canal Loop Trails are increasingly popular because of their convenience. We thank Visit Bucks County for helping us to keep canal visitors informed and entice them to return to discover even more intriguing places.
Sharing the Towpath Trail
With Spring comes the return of lots of visitors to the Delaware Canal towpath. Please be mindful of your fellow Park users.
Event: The Canal Society of New York State Winter Symposium
Outside the temperature was 13 degrees and the wind was shipping, but inside the community college conference center sat 100+ devotees of the Erie Canal – the canal that “changed America.” – the canal that spurred Pennsylvania legislators and entrepreneurs to jump into canal building whole hog – the canal that today is a tourism and economic development powerhouse.
At 9 a.m. those 100+ people were ready to view my presentation about the Delaware Canal. I showed the Canal at its best and worst during my “Commerce, Calamities and Conservation” PowerPoint with particular emphasis on how and why the waterway was preserved, the Canal’s comeback after the four recent floods, and how the Friends of the Delaware Canal have influenced the future of the Canal.
Why was I invited to speak? I was told that there were many small organizations under the Society’s umbrella that could learn from what the Friends have accomplished and that my program might be the inspiration for a field trip in 2018.
The presentation went well. There were ahhs when particularly beautiful photos of the Canal were projected, gasps at the extent of the flood damage, and questions at the end.
But what happened after I left the podium sparked a revelation. At least six people came up to me to say how lucky we were to still have a real canal — one that has many of its historic structures, has its same dimensions, and looks to a good extent as it did in the 1800’s. To my mind, these were people who were dealing with a very superior canal, but still they envied what we have on the Delaware Canal.
The experience drove home the ever-present need to evaluate and then vigilantly guard what makes the Delaware Canal so special. Change can be stealthy and manifest itself in tiny, virtually unnoticeable increments. Each time that the silt in the bottom of the Canal is simply pulled to the bank and not removed, the capacity of the water channel decreases. The action doesn’t seem like much at the moment, but over time ….. Dramatic change can come cloaked in “necessity,” “economic feasibility,” and “redevelopment.”
Change is unremitting and often comes with excellent results, but we must be mindful not to lose the attributes of the Delaware Canal that make it special, loved, and even envied.
Sharing Expertise
History and recreation do mix. Canal Walkers visit the Thompson Neely House.
Pennsylvania is blessed with a wealth of parks, forests, and historic places. A visit to a Commonwealth-owned property will, in nearly every case, involve both an experience with nature and a contact with a historic place. For instance, the northern section of Washington Crossing Historic Park has within its boundaries the Thompson-Neely House and Soldiers’ Graves as well as picnic pavilions, a Boy Scout camping ground, not to mention the Delaware Canal running through it.
Good administration of Pennsylvania’s diverse resources takes a wide range of expertise. Knowledge about recreation, sustainability, preservation and maintenance practices need to be shared in order to best protect the State’s irreplaceable treasures.
Currently the protection of these treasures is the responsibility of two different State agencies. Under the structure of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is responsible for conserving and sustaining the State’s natural resources and the Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is responsible for collecting, conserving, and interpreting the State’s historic heritage.
This March an important step was taken to ensure that expertise is shared. DCN and PHMC are in the process of developing a formal consultation agreement that facilitates working more closely together on issues of management, conservation, and preservation of the historic resources under DCNR’s ownership.
John Hallas, Director of the PA Bureau of State Parks, lauds this step forward. “DCNR, as a significant steward of the Commonwealth’s cultural resources, is looking to make major improvements in our management practices for historic assets.” He added that another positive aspect of the enhanced DCNR/PHMC relationship is that DCNR is launching a first-ever cultural resource plan for Point State Park in Pittsburgh. PHMC consulting services and mitigation funding will be used to develop the plan, which will serve as an archetype for incorporation into DCNR’s park-specific planning documents.
In Working Order Again
Josh Gradwohl inspects the lock model gates that he built.
The canal lock model at the Locktender’s House in New Hope provides the hands-on answer to the question “How does a lock work?” Built more than 15 years ago by a Palisades High School teacher and his students, the model features flowing water and a lock chamber in which a little boat can be raised and lowered. Best of all, it has never leaked.
Over the years the model lock gates and their wickets have been pulled and pushed tens of thousands of times by kids and adults. All that use wore out the gates, ad they were no longer able to hold water back making the demonstration of locking through impossible.
Several attempts were made to build new gates, but none worked properly. Then to the rescue came woodworker Josh Gradwohl. (You may recognize the name since Josh built the Locktender’s House garden fence, the front door, and replaced the mural plaza fascia boards.) Josh took all the old gates home, studied them, and devised a new gate design. The new gates are crafted from wood, which provides a more accurate depiction of real lock gates, and their miter joints are tight– all the better to illustrate the water levels inside and outside the lock chamber.
Josh once again shared his abilities as a fine craftsman with the Friends, and we are so grateful. This spring the lock model will be filled with water, and visitors will be able to lock a boat through all by themselves.
When the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania dug the 58.9-mile-long Delaware Canal between 1827 and 1831, it was responsible for connecting the private properties that the new ditch divided. Thus, more than 100 bridges were built, most of which were camelback bridges. A camelback bridge is a modified Queen Post Truss bridge, perfectly adapted for canal use since it has a hump in the middle, which allowed canal boats to more easily pass underneath.
Today the successors to the original camelback bridges are the Delaware Canal’s signature structures exemplifying the waterway’s history. Over the years, changes in vehicle types and traffic requirements have caused most of the bridge to be replaced with larger, hefty versions, but six authentic camelbacks still remain.
For over a decade, the Friends have been on a quest to ensure that these last six genuine pieces of history are restored. Not only are they vital factors to the Canal’s National Historic Landmark status, but their delicate design guides new construction. The Friends are directly responsible for the successful restoration of three of the camelbacks and were instrumental in the preservation of the fourth. Our volunteers perform continuing maintenance, such as painting and vegetation removal.
Two camelbacks are still in need of work – Woody’s Bridge south of Easton and Spahr’s Bridge in Bridgeton Township. This fall, the stars aligned in favor of Woody’s. It needed significant repairs so that it could continue to carry pedestrians, but was not so deteriorated that it needed a complete rebuild.
Contractor Randy Myer is determined to get the restoration of Woody’s Camelback Bridge done this winter.
The Friends have partnered with the Delaware Canal State Park to get the job done now while the water is out of the Canal for other maintenance projects. Fundraising to cover the $31,800 labor cost is underway, and the Park has committed to pay for the materials. In the spirit of getting the job done this winter, Randy Myer of R-Shell Exteriors, Lancaster, PA is already at work. (Randy is a seasoned camelback restoration contractor having already completed the work on the Hazzard’s, Thompson-Neely, and Goat Farm bridges.)
So far, the Friends have raised $20,000 for this project thanks to generous contributors who want the Canal’s history preserved. Now we need your help to raise the balance of the needed funds. You may contribute on-line at www.fodc.org or send a check to Friends of the Delaware Canal, 145 South Main Street, New Hope, PA.
Please help restore Woody’s Bridge, the best example of how camelback bridges once were – delicate, graceful, utilitarian, and very beautiful.
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Get on the CAT List
The Friends’ Canal Action Team (CAT) has been tackling a wide variety of projects since it was formed in the winter of 2014. Everything from removing vegetation from stone walls to bridge painting to replacing interpretive signs to pulling out cattails is fair game.
As 2017 begins, we would like to reinvigorate our list of volunteers who are interested in working on the CAT.
WHO: Anyone who wants to and can be physically active. Especially needed are people who like to paint bridges and those who would like to lead a crew.
When: CAT projects can be undertaken both on weekdays and weekends. Usually they take no longer than 3-4 hours.
Where: Work sites are determined by the urgency of the job and the location and number of available volunteers.
The Plan: If you want to be part of CAT, please call 215-862-2021 or e-mail friends@fodc.org and give us your contact info and your preferred work locations (north, central, south). When a work day is developed, an e-mail notice containing the job details is sent to all the prospective volunteers about two weeks prior. Those who can help on a particular project just respond to the e-mail and show up on the appointed day.
Be part of CAT! Get things done along the Canal and enjoy working with your fellow Friends.
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Park Manager’s Report
My first seven months at the Canal have been exciting and full of challenges and successes. We wrapped up 2016 with several wall repair projects. During the maintenance drawdown in October we hired several contractors to make repairs to multiple walls that failed and collapsed along the Canal. Wall repairs have been completed at Lock 5 in Yardley, along Mile Post 21 in the Bowman’s Hill area, adjacent to Lock 22/23 in the Teddy Roosevelt Recreation Area, and at Woody’s Bridge in the Raubsville area. Also during the drawdown, Park and engineering staff were able to inspect several areas of the Canal and develop plans for future projects and maintenance work. Park maintenance crews were also busy repointing walls and waste gates, dredging, fixing additional sink holes ,and working on many other preventative maintenance projects. To close out 2016, the river/weather finally cooperated with us by providing enough rain and higher river levels to start re-watering the southern end of the canal during the middle of December.
2017 will bring its challenges and successes as well. We will be starting the New Year with several projects already in progress. First, in partnership with the Friends, an experienced contractor has been hired to make repairs to Woody’s Bridge in the Raubsville area. We have had another wall collapse in the Kintnersville area by Lehnenberg Road. A contractor has already been mobilized, and repairs to this wall have begun. Finally, the Park has discovered two new sinkholes in the northern section of the Park – one in Smithtown between Bridges 2 and 3 and the second in Williams Township just north of the Easton sewage treatment plant. Repairs to these sinkholes will be forthcoming once the weather decides to cooperate with us.
Also, work on the Lower Limeport Bridge in Solebury Township has begun and is expected to continue through April. We have another bridge project on the horizon as well. The final design work and permitting is being done for the Phillips’ Mill Bridge. We are expecting this project to go out to bid late this winter and to be ready for construction later this spring. Enjoy the Canal!
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At the Annual Meeting
Our members just kept coming through the doors of the David Library of the American Revolution on November 15. The Rose Gallery, where the covered dish dinner was held, was filled with people and great food; and everyone was thankful for the spacious seating and high quality audio visual equipment upstairs in Stone Hall where our presentations were held. We are so appreciative of the Library’s willingness to share their facilities with the Friends.
We were pleased to have a wonderful turnout from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. With us were:
John Hallas, Director of the Bureau of State Parks, who gave a summary of DCNR’s accomplishments and plans Jason Zimmerman, Manager of Park Region 4 Josh Swartley, Delaware Canal State Park Manager Bethany Hare, Delaware Canal State Park Assistant Manager Gene Gelfand, Engineer with DCNR’s Bureau of Facility Design and Construction, who was honored for his dedication to the preservation and improvement of the Canal and its historic structures, particularly its camelback bridges David Kemmerer, retired Director of the Bureau of State Parks
The after-dinner presentation included some Friends’ Board of Directors business. Retiring Board member Stephanie Garomon was thanked for all her efforts on behalf of our organization, especially in terms of organizing fundraising events. Pam Can, JudyFranlin, Joan Fullerton, Lynn Vogel, and David Scheaffer were all elected to additional Board terms.
The Annual Meeting is always a great time to get together with old and new friends, take stock of the year’s activities, and gear up for the coming year. And that’s just what we did.
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At its January meeting, the Friends’ Board of Directors elected its officers for 2017. Serving will be:
Brett Webber – President Pam Can – Vice-President Lynn Vogel – Secretary Peter Sperry – Treasurer
As always, the Board welcomes your participation and input.
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A Link to the Canal’s Past
Movies taken of the Delaware Canal during the first half of the 20th century and interviews with men and women who worked on the Canal are now available for you to see and hear on your computer, iPad, or phone. These treasures are easily accessible thanks to the efforts of the Solebury Township Historical Society and the cooperation of the National Canal Museum in Easton.
Two members of the Society, who are also dedicated members of the Friends of the Delaware Canal, collaborated with the National Canal Museum to preserve the Museum’s cassette and film collection. Robert McEwan, Society Vice President and archivist, and Elizabeth Carrick, the Society’s web consultant have devoted a tremendous number of hours to evaluating the collection and publishing the best of it on the Solebury Township Historical Society website www.soleburyhistory.org.
To share these valuable pieces of history with more canallers, the Society has very generously invited the Friends to place a link to the material on our website www.fodc.org. The movies and the interviews can be found here.
So, if you’ve wondered what the Delaware Canal was like when mule teams pulled coal-laden boats to market, you can now find out by just clicking.
The Solebury Township Historical Society’s new collection of videos and oral histories contains images of Canal sites that have disappeared. This is a John Anderson photograph of Lock 10 in New Hope, now covered by Main Street.
