canal tenders – Friends of the Delaware Canal

Canal News – Spring 2018

The Time Has Come

A few of the hikers on our “Winter Footgear Walk,” held on February 18, pause at a muddy stretch of towpath in Lumberville.

After being in place for 15 years, the red argillite stone surface of the Canal towpath is showing its age. The argillite is deteriorating to dust leaving behind an earthen surface punctuated with holes, ruts, and humps. On a sunny day, walking and bicycling require watchfulness. On a rainy day, be prepared for lots of mud and deep puddles.

After the floods of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2011, the red argillite surface was replaced with “stabilized turf” in the sections of towpath that were damaged by the floodwaters. The red argillite was allowed to remain in the non-flood prone areas. Now that the argillite is failing, DCNR must step up to the problem and develop and implement a plan to bring the towpath back to a safe and visitor-friendly condition.

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One Pump On, One Pump Off , One Pump To Come

From the Point Pleasant Pumping Station to the Delaware Canal

On January 23 water began flowing into the Delaware Canal via a diversion from the Point Pleasant Pumping Station. The lively stream flowing down the berm bank from the big red barn was a welcome sight made possible by an agreement between the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Forest Park Water Authority, owner-operator of the Point Pleasant Pump. The agreement was brokered by State Senator Chuck McIlhinney at the suggestion of Delaware Canal 21.

The diversion can supply water to the Canal during the periods when the giant pump in the Delaware River is operating. The Delaware River Basin Commission has approved the agreement for a six-month test period with a possible extension of an additional six months.

The Point Pleasant Pump last supplied water to the Canal during the summer of 2000. At that time the Tohickon Aqueduct reconstruction project was running a year behind schedule and recent repair work done in Lumberville desperately needed some stabilizing water. Paul Bogen, a Friends’ member, negotiated a deal with the water authorities operating the pump at that time to supply water to the Canal. The water authorities’ “Water Wizard” mascot turned on the system on May 9. The diversion did supply water to the Canal, but not in sufficient volume to make a significant difference. The white PVC pipes from that attempt can still be seen on the Pumping Station property.

The centrifugal pump that conveys water from the River into the Canal at Centre Bridge has been out of service since the end of January. High river levels and cold temperature have prevented the Park maintenance staff from getting down to and into the river water to determine the cause of the problem. It’s most likely that a supply pipe was dislodged while the River was filled with ice chunks and the repair shouldn’t be too difficult. The water level in the Centre Bridge to Lock 11- New Hope section has not dropped too low because of the snow melt, rain, and runoff. In fact, the entire Canal has benefited from these sources of water.

The Friends and DCNR will be working out the final details of installing a centrifugal pump in the River at the northern section of Washington Crossing Historic Park. The distance between the River and the Canal at that location is fairly short and a power supply is available. The pump that will be utilized is one purchased by the Friends for use by the Park. Its purpose will be to supply water to the southern end of the Canal when the Delaware River drops below the level of the New Hope inlet, which often happens in late summer and early fall.

The quest for a fully watered Canal goes on.

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Delaware Canal Bound

The site of the waterwheels that once supplied water to the southern end of the Delaware Canal will be the first stop on the NY and PA Canal Societies’ spring field trip.

An annual field trip is a part of nearly every state canal society’s schedule of events. This year the Canal Society of New York State and the Pennsylvania Canal Society are collaborating on a spring field trip to the Delaware Canal.

The trip will extend from Friday afternoon, April 27 to Sunday afternoon, April 29. The main feature will be a guided bus tour from the south end of New Hope to the Forks of the Delaware in Easton on Saturday, April 28. Stops will be made along the way, and lunch will be served at the Homestead Store in Upper Black Eddy. After the tour, the group will have dinner at the Wyndham Philadelphia-Bucks County Hotel, and Susan Taylor, Executive Director of the Friends of the Delaware Canal, will present a program “What You Didn’t See on the Bus.”

Friends’ members are invited to join the two canal societies for this exploration. Seeing the Delaware Canal in the company of canal experts and enthusiasts will be an enlightening treat, and the extensive illustrated tour guide developed by trip organizer Bruce Schwendy will be a resource well worth having.

To see a full schedule of activities and register for the trip, go to www.newyorkcanals.org and click on Upcoming Events.

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Park Manager’s Report

The snow and ice is melting, and spring will be here soon. I am looking forward to warmer temperatures and the return of our seasonal staff to the Park. Trout season opens on March 31, and with it comes the return of eager fishermen looking forward to the first cast of the season.

We are still anticipating the beginning of several projects along the Canal this year. They are:

the Kleinhans Aqueduct replacement in Williams Township
the Phillips’ Mill bridge replacement in Solebury Township
the construction of a passageway through the Conrail embankment in Falls Township
the trail bypass along Tyburn Road, also in Falls Township

Also underway this year is a large capital project to repair, replace, and/or restore ten bridges and two sub-canal culverts within the Park. This project will be completed in three phases over the course of about three to five years. The first phase of this project will include Canal Lane in Upper Black Eddy, Smithtown Bridges 3 & 4, and a sub-canal culvert in Raubsville just north of the Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area. Right now, we have an engineering consulting firm working on the design and planning for this project. We anticipate having the three bridges and one sub-canal culvert in Phase One of this project ready for bid in November of 2018. Phase Two will include Canal Road North in Raubsville, Canal Road South in Raubsville, Berm Lane in Upper Black Eddy, and Island Road in Kintnersville. Phase Three will include the Tebola Beans Bridge in Washington Crossing, the Buckstone/David Library Bridge in Upper Makefield, the Rabbit Run sub-canal culvert just north of New Hope, and the Mechanic Street Bridge in New Hope. This large capital project will make a huge difference and will help in addressing the numerous infrastructure needs along the Canal.

Enjoy the Canal!

Josh Swartley, Park Manager

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What’s on the CAT To-Do List?

Repairing the roofs on lock doghouses
Painting camelback bridges
Installing new interpretive sign panels
Building another Potty Barn
Be a CAT member and you can be in the doghouse, too.
Plus whatever comes along

Do you want to work on these substantial projects and enjoy working with your fellow Friends?

Be a part of the Canal Action Team (CAT)

Who: Anyone who wants to and can be physically active.

When: CAT projects can be undertaken both on weekdays and weekends. Usually they take no longer than 3-4 hours.

Where: Work sites can be located anywhere from Easton to Bristol. They 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 project 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.

CAT is expert at getting things done well while still having a good time.

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Sharing the Towpath Trail

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.

The Delaware Canal towpath is a trail for all.

An old-fashioned bicycle bell is a good way to let other towpath users know that you’re about to pass them and very appropriate for the old-fashioned Canal.

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Opportunities to the North and South

Dedicated Canal Tenders are taking care of 45 miles of the Delaware Canal – 13.9 miles are still in need of adoption. These miles lie on the northern and southern ends. Please consider volunteering to close these last gaps.

Easton – Forks of the Delaware to Wy-Hit-Tuk Park – 2.3 miles
Riegelsville/Upper Black Eddy – Mueller’s Store to Indian Rock Inn – 5.5 miles
Falls Township – Conrail Obstruction to Wheatsheaf Road – 2.5 miles
Bristol Township/Bristol Borough – Levittown Center to Bristol Lagoon Park – 2.8 miles
Bristol Borough – Beaver Street to Riverfront Park – 0.8 mile

The sections can be divided into smaller stretches.

We have a very willing volunteer for the Bristol Township area, but she wants to work with at least one other person.

Three Canal Tenders have “retired.” We heartily thank Tom and Carol Grube, who tended from the Forks of the Delaware to Wy-Hit-Tuk Park, and Daniel Duffin, who tended from Mueller’s Store to Indian Rock Inn, for all their years of hard work.

Marge Copenhaver retired from her section from Lock 17 to Bridge 3 in Smithtown, but has decided to get right back into tending by adopting the Centre Bridge to Phillips’ Mill section. Linda and Aodan Peacock have volunteered to partner with her.

New Friends’ member Thomas Fryer has adopted the Lock 17 to Bridge 3 section.

We’re so grateful to our Canal Tenders – new, current, and retired for helping to improve the towpath and waterway. If you would like to be part of the program, please call 215-862-2021 or e-mail friends@fodc.org.

The Canal needs you!

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In the Merry Month of May

You will be receiving your Friends of the Delaware membership renewal request for the year 2018. Please support all that we do to improve the Canal.

We welcome checks because we save on credit card fees, but also are happy to have you renew online. Just click on Join in the main menu and navigate to the Renew Your Membership page.

Thank you so much!

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Welcome, New Friends!

Anna Maria Caldara
Thomas Fryer
Michael Solomon

Canal News – Winter 2018

The Canal Gets Signs With Help from Our Friends

The Friends of the Delaware Canal are pleased to report that four interpretive sign projects will move forward this year. Two involve replacement of sign panels that are the worse for wear after 20+ years. The other two will create new and long-awaited signs that will allow visitors to better understand what took place at special sites.

The Friends, Bristol Borough Council, the Grundy Foundation, Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, and the Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation have collaborated to replace the nine interpretive signs that tell the story of the Delaware Canal as it passed through Historic Bristol Borough from the Lagoon to Riverfront Park. Not only will the panels be replaced, but the content will be revised to include new information and photographs.

More interpretive signs are on their way, all the better for visitors to read.

Eighteen wayside signs that tell the basic story of the Delaware Canal will be replaced thanks to the generosity of thirteen guests who enthusiastically contributed to their cost during the auction at October’s Faces and Places benefit.

The lost town of Uhlersville and the powerhouse at Groundhog Lock in Raubsville will have their stories shared on a new three-panel kiosk sign thanks to the initiative of several local residents and a generous contribution from the Williams Township Board of Supervisors.

A wayside sign about the fascinating history of Smithtown in Tinicum Township will be created through a contribution in memory of dedicated, long-time member Tom Copenhaver.

Exciting and challenging days lie ahead as text is written, illustrations are found, and the signs are designed – all in the quest to share the Delaware Canal’s rich history in the best, most understandable way.

We are so grateful to all our partners for their support of these efforts.

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The Flowable Fill Solution

by Tony Giacobbe, Regional Engineer, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Park Region #4, and Bilal Baqai, Civil Engineer, PA DCNR, Park Region #4

Sinkholes have been an issue in the more recent history of the Delaware Canal, and an especially incessant and serious problem in 2017. Sinkholes are openings that develop in the canal prism and tend to be most prevalent in areas where the Canal is adjacent to high rock walls and their associated shallow bedrock.

The fractures in the upper strata of the bedrock serve as erosion channels or “pipelines” for the materials, such as soil and gravel, which lie under the Canal’s clay liner. The channels were revealed by the use of ground penetration radar (GPR) during DCNR’s latest study to understand why sinkholes form.

Previously, DCNR’s best practices included over-excavating the sinkhole, placing some bentomat (a geosynthetic clay liner), then finally packing clay above the liner to canal-bed elevation. This practice did not seem effective since there were locations where this repair had been done multiple times.

To minimize costs of repairing the same areas, alternatives were considered for repairing sinkholes. “Flowable fill” was chosen as an inexpensive and effective material for the task. Flowable fill consists of Portland cement, fine aggregate, fly ash, water, and may contain other admixtures as needed (admixtures are materials that are added to the basic mix to change or improve the quality of the product). Like concrete, flowable fill cures over time, but its curing process is less restrictive. The use of flowable fill has become much more common by PennDOT for structural backfilling, pipe and bedding backfilling, and utility trench back filling, among many other uses.

The unique aspect about flowable fill is that it can flow into interstitial spaces without the need of vibrators, and once it settles and cures, it leaves a level surface. Along the Delaware Canal, it has become a much-needed solution to preventing leaks through the fractured bedrock under the Canal.

Once a sinkhole or cavity is identified, it is excavated, if needed, to identify the extent of the cavity. Flowable fill is then poured into the hole to ensure that all voids are plugged. After placement of the flowable fill, the area is lined with clay and compacted. With the restoration of the clay liner, the repair process is complete.

The area where a sinkhole had been repaired with “flowable fill” is covered with clay to restore the Canal’s ability to hold water.

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Thank You So Much!

2018 is off to a splendid start thanks to all of you who so generously responded to the Friends’ Year-End Appeal. We asked you to help us accomplish more in the new year, and you did just that. Your contributions replenish the Canal Improvement Fund.

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See It Before It’s Gone

Beginning in 1794, the River House accommodated rafters and boaters who tied up before making their way through the formidable Wells Falls on the Delaware River in New Hope. When the Delaware Canal opened in 1831, the River House also welcomed canal boatmen on their way south to Bristol. In the 20th century, the River House came to be Odette’s, a popular cabaret and restaurant.

Preparations are well underway to move the original portion of the fieldstone River House inland to the American Legion triangle on South Main Street. The move will make way for the new Riverhouse at Odette’s, a luxury boutique hotel catering to weddings, meetings and special events.

Soon the River House that has stood between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal for nearly two hundred years will no longer be at the site that gives it meaning. It’s time to take a last look.

Many purposes will be served by the new Riverhouse at Odette’s complex. Sadly, historic preservation is not one of them.

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Park Manager’s Report

Happy New Year!

It has been a cold, snowy winter so far with much of the Canal frozen and snow on the towpath. We still have several weeks of winter to come with, I’m willing to bet, several more snow storms. It may be a good time to dust off the cross-country skis and get them ready for a trip out on the Canal.

We are anticipating the beginning of several projects along the Canal this year. They are: the Kleinhans Aqueduct replacement in Williams Township, the Phillips’ Mill bridge replacement in Solebury Township, the construction of a tunnel through the Conrail embankment near Fairless Hills, and the trail bypass along Tyburn Road.

In addition, development in New Hope at Odette’s is beginning to move forward. The Gateway to New Hope group is in the process of installing a temporary access road at the northern end of Odette’s to provide trail access to Park visitors. They are also preparing and shoring up the oldest portion of the Odette’s building so that it can be moved to its new location at the intersection of New Street and Riverwoods Drive. The move is anticipated to be within the next few months. DCNR is in the process of developing a preliminary plan for its facilities in New Hope including the relocated Odette’s building. The Department is looking at the feasibility of building a classroom space, public restrooms, and a new concession building in New Hope along with repurposing the Odette’s building into a space where educational and interpretive activities can take place. We would also like to make the towpath more accessible by installing an ADA accessible ramp from South Main Street up to the Canal.

Enjoy the Canal!

Josh Swartley

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Want to be a Canal Tender?

Canal Tenders are at work along the entire length of the Canal, and their year-round help is very much appreciated by visitors and the State Park staff. Tenders pick up litter and debris, remove any small obstructions from the towpath, make notifications concerning creeping invasive species, watch for and report significant changes or anything unusual about their section of the Canal, and submit written reports twice each year.

Two of our long-time Tenders have retired because they’ve moved inland. Marge Copenhaver and Robert McEwan cared for their sections for many years and we thank them for all of their efforts and concern.

The “Housewives of Rolling Hills” and their helpers following their tending session out on the Canal from the Uhlerstown Covered Bridge to Lock 17 in Tinicum Township

Although nearly all of the Canal is covered from Easton to Bristol are covered, there are five sections that need adoption.

Bristol Riverfront Park to the Lagoon (0.97 miles)
Beaver Street to Home Depot/Levittown Shopping Center (2.91 miles)
Wheatsheaf Road to the Conrail Obstruction (2.52 miles)
Phillips’ Mill to Centre Bridge (1.54 miles)
Smithtown Bridge 3 to Treasure Island Lock 17 (1.01 miles)

Please let us know if you can help fill these gaps. The sections can be divided into shorter lengths to suit Canal Tender’s needs.

Being a Canal Tender is an interesting and exciting volunteer opportunity. The Canal is ever-changing and Tenders get to experience it all. Please call 215-862-2021 or email friends@fodc.org for more information.

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Opportunity Knocks

Want to help the Friends help the Canal?

Here are some of the ways that you can –

Work with the Canal Action Team (CAT) on projects that require some heft.
Become a Canal Tender. Several sections of the Canal need adoption.
Be part of a Friends’ committee and make things happen. The standing committees are:

Advocacy, Restoration and Maintenance
Development
Education and Recreation
Finance
Fundraising
Membership

Check out the Help the Canal page to learn more and feel free to call Susan at 215-862-2021 or e-mail friends@fodc.org with questions or suggestions.

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At the Board Table

During our Annual Meeting on November 14, several actions were taken concerning the Friends’ Board of Directors.

Retiring, but still active, Board member Peter Sperry was honored and thanked for his many accomplishments. The membership re-elected Jeff Connell, Bob Ketler, Eileen O’Neil, Pete Rosswaag, and Brett Webber to additional two-year terms.

Elected to their first terms were Laure Duval and Lawrence Reinfeld.

At its first meeting of the new year, the Board of Directors elected its officers:
Brett Webber – President
Pam Can – Vice- President
Lynn Vogel – Secretary
Judith Franlin – Treasurer

The Board looks forward to making progress in 2018 and having some fun, too.

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