Towpath Trail from New Hope to Centre Bridge is Open
April 11, 2019
The Phillips’ Mill Bridge project is finished,and the towpath has reopened! The New Hope to Centre Bridge to Stockton to Lambertville to New Hope PA/NJ Loop is back.
The Phillips’ Mill Bridge project is finished,and the towpath has reopened! The New Hope to Centre Bridge to Stockton to Lambertville to New Hope PA/NJ Loop is back.
The park will begin a drawdown of water levels in the canal to conduct several repair and preventative maintenance projects in two areas of the park.nCanal levels will be dropped from Mill Creek Road south to Bristol Borough so that a collapsed culvert under Haines Road can be repaired and replaced. Water levels from Centre Bridge to New Hope will also be lowered so that vegetation removal can take place along the canal prism and help facilitate the bridge replacement project at Phillips Mill.
Drawdown of the canal must take place before October 15th due to regulations established by the PA Fish & Boat Commission to protect the eastern redbelly turtle. During the drawdown, park staff will be on site removing and relocating fish, turtles, and/or other species of concern to a safe location should they become stranded in a section of the canal with low water.
If you have any questions, please contact the park office at 610-982-5560.
The level of the Delaware River, as measured in Trenton, is at 8.56 ft. This level is .044 below the level of the New Hope inlet located behind the former Odette’s. The consequence is that no River water is entering the Canal, and the levels from New Hope to Bristol are slowly dropping.
The pump at Center Bridge, which allows the Delaware Canal to be watered from Center Bridge south to New Hope, stopped working the other day. After inspection by a representative from Sander Power Equip Co. it was determined that a piece of the internal impeller assembly had broken. We are sending it out to be repaired today, but there is about a 2-week turnaround time before we can get the part back and replaced in the pump in the river. Replacing the part in the pump is also dependent on river levels being low enough for our equipment to reach the pump out in the river; we do not expect any issues with this but it’s always a potential variable.
Our intention is to return the pump to working order as soon as possible, but with the turnaround time for the part there is risk for a fish kill, which we want to avoid. Our staff will be watching for any fish in trouble in this stretch as the water continues to drop. We welcome notifications from visitors/neighbors of fish in need, as well as assistance from volunteers with removing fish and returning them to the river. If you have any questions, please contact the park office at 610-982-5560.
Bi-State Construction has removed the temporary roadway and the pipes from the Lower Limeport Bridge construction site. The Centre Bridge pump has been restarted, and water is making its way south.
The water level in the Canal from Centre Bridge to Lock 11 in New Hope dropped today. The contractors, who are finishing the replacement of the Lower Limeport Bridge, are planning to remove the temporary rock bridge on Monday. Water is still being pumped into the Canal at Centre Bridge, and the section will be monitored for problems over the weekend. A normal level of water should be restored as soon as the contractors are done, according to the Assistant Park Manager.
Friends of the Delaware Canal
145 South Main Street
New Hope, PA 18938
Phone: 215.862.2021
Susan Taylor, Executive Director
Helping on Canal Clean-up Day is just one way you can get involved and help to restore, preserve and improve the Delaware Canal. Big or small, the perfect job for you awaits – all you need to do is get involved! FIND OUT MORE