2004 Peer-to-Peer Conference

Overview
On February 18-19, 2004, the Friends of the Delaware Canal hosted a "Peer-to-Peer Canal Conference.” The first of its kind in this area, the conference provided an informal forum for sharing information and experiences among those directly involved in the preservation and maintenance of canals. The event was made possible through a generous grant from the Goodfellow Fund.

Participation
Representatives from six different canals participated. Ownership of the represented canals includes one national and two state park systems, as well as a conglomeration of municipal and private entities.

• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal – The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal is a National Historical Park, which runs through Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.
• Delaware Canal – The Delaware Canal is a Pennsylvania State Park administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Washington Crossing is a State Historic Park that is divided by the Delaware Canal. It is administered by the PA Historical and Museum Commission.
• Delaware & Raritan Canal – The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a New Jersey State Park administered by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The D&R also functions as a water supply, and the New Jersey Water Supply Authority is in charge of water-related functions on the Canal. D&R regulatory matters are the handled by the D&R Canal Commission.
• Lehigh Canal – The Lehigh Canal flows through three cities—Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton—as well as through 17 other municipalities. Sections are in public and private ownership.
• Schuylkill Canal – The Schuylkill Canal is made up of a series of short canals or “lakes,” since many sections have been filled in. Different segments are owned by different entities, including a railroad, and managed by volunteers.
• Union Canal – The Lebanon County Historical Society owns and maintains The Union Canal Tunnel, the oldest existing tunnel in the United States, for the canal linking Reading and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

These participants included…

• civil engineers
• historians
• park administrators
• park maintenance supervisors
• rangers
• volunteer organizations
• a representative from the Dry Stone Conservancy

Funding
As a result of the broad spectrum of ownership, funding for the participating canals comes from many different sources:

• federal
• state
• county
• private

The Delaware & Raritan Canal is unusual in that the sale of water by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority provides an income stream for maintenance and improvement projects.

While location, ownership and funding sources varied, the canals all face very similar problems and issues. Most of them struggle with determining…

• how to maintain historical values on limited budgets
• long, tedious timeframes for receiving funding and permit approvals

Topics
The opportunity to discuss funding and other topics with their peers provided participants with a unique forum for sharing information and possibly discovering new insights into old situations. The conversation was lively and covered a broad spectrum of subjects, including:

• Determining the main priority/function of the canal
• Canal management, repair and maintenance issues
• Establishing compliance meetings to discuss new projects, emergency work, etc.
• Challenges of incorporating varied and differing inputs in planning
• Historical accuracy in restoration
• Developing strong working relationships with stakeholders
• Opportunities for regular public communication through modern media
• ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access
• Balancing:
• cost and historical accuracy in maintenance and repairs
• practicality/economy and present-day operability with historical preservation
• public wants and needs for combining history with recreation
• Water retention problems
• Flood and storm water management.
• Habitat restoration, desilting and dredging, reclaiming wetlands canal sections

Dan Copenhaver (left), Civil Engineer with the C&O National Historical Park, swaps “war stories” with Derek Fox (center), Delaware Canal State Park Maintenance Supervisor and Gene Gelfand, Civil Engineer with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

Delaware Canal Representatives

• George DiCarlantonio – Chief, Bridge & Roadway Section, Bureau of Facility Design and Construction of the Pennsylvania DCNR
• Jim Eppley – Chief, Division of Design Engineering, Pennsylvania DCNR
• Derek Fox – Park Maintenance Supervisor, Delaware Canal State
• Gene Gelfand – Civil Engineer, Pennsylvania DCNR
• Ken Lewis – Assistant Regional Park Manager, Pennsylvania DCNR
• John Smith – Civil Engineer & Project Designer, Pennsylvania DCNR

Friends of the Delaware Canal Participants

• Susan Taylor – Executive Director
• Joan Tanner – Record Keeper
• John Goodfellow – President, Goodfellow Fund

Conference Minutes

• February 18, 2004 (65KB pdf)
• February 19, 2004 (72KB pdf)