Friends of the Delaware Canal

Camel Back Bridge Walk in Raubsville, PA

Camel Back Bridge Walk in Raubsville, PA

Join us for the second in our series of canal walks featuring an iconic camelback bridge.

Woody’s Camelback Bridge restored to its glory with your help.

This 4-mile walk will begin at the Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area where we will learn about the Groundhog Lock.

We will then venture north to Woody’s Camelback Bridge, the fifth of the six authentic camelback bridges to be restored in 2017 by the friends with the help of many generous donors.

On our return trip we will venture south to the Kleinhans/Fry’s Run Aqueduct and hear stories about Coffeetown, an early American Mill village and it’s remnants of a bygone era.

Want to join us? Please register below.

Camelback Bridge Walk

Your name(Required)
Additional Attendee

 

Canal Level Dropped in North

Canal Level Dropped in North

June 4, 2021

The level of the Canal has been dropped from Easton to Erwinna because a very large hole developed in the Canal in Raubsville.  The repair of the hole with flowable fill is scheduled for the week of June 7.

Towpath Closed in Raubsville Due to Collapse

Towpath Closed in Raubsville Due to Collapse

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

The towpath is CLOSED just north of Woody’s Camelback Bridge ( Mile 54) due to a partial collapse of the towpath today. Trail users should turn around at the closure and NOT attempt to get by it, as the collapse may be prone to expanding and undercutting.  The level of the water in the Canal has been lowered to reduce any further erosion.

 

 

Update on the Fry’s Run aka Kleinhans Aqueduct Situation

Update on the Fry’s Run aka Kleinhans Aqueduct Situation

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

From Josh Swartley, Delaware Canal State Park Manager —-

On Saturday, August 11, 2018  Williams Township (Northampton County) experience torrential downpours and flash flooding.  As a result of this flooding Fry’s Run overflowed its banks, sending a wall of water into Kleinhans Aqueduct.  The flash flooding damage the aqueduct and the temporary bypass that carries water along the canal.  The aqueduct wall on the west side was completely blown off and washed down the canal.  The temporary bypass, that conveys water through the canal, was washed away.  Currently, water is being diverted out of the canal at Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area (TRRA) until repairs can be made to the aqueduct.  The area between TRRA and Durham will have no flow until repairs can be made.  The Durham pump has been turned on, so the area south of Durham will have a minimal amount of water on a short term, temporary basis.  Over the next several days, we will be working on installing another temporary bypass over the aqueduct and hope to have water flowing through the area by the end of next week.

Local Flooding Damages Fry’s Run Aqueduct

Local Flooding Damages Fry’s Run Aqueduct

August 13, 2018

On Saturday, August 11th, it RAINED in the upper stretches of the Canal causing local flooding. Fry’s Run near Raubsville rose to a level higher than the canal aqueduct, and the tremendous force of the water against the temporary pipes, which were carrying the Canal’s water over the Run, were ripped out of place – as well as stone walls and some River bank.
The result is that most of the water coming south from Easton is pouring out the west side of what remains of the aqueduct structure. Water levels have dropped from Groundhog Lock south.
Hope to know more soon about the way forward. This turn of events is especially sad since

Looking toward the aqueduct from Route 611.

DCNR took great pains to install the pipes so that the Canal could be watered until the structurally deficient aqueduct was replaced. Fortunately, the plans for the new aqueduct are finished, so the replacement process is underway.

More Sinkholes to Repair

More Sinkholes to Repair

Wednesday, November 9

Several additional sinkholes were discovered in canal prism between Raubsville and Easton.  The state engineers and Bi-State Construction have investigated.  They will be fixed, but rewatering of the Canal will be delayed a few weeks.

 

Canal Drawdown Begins on Monday, Sept. 26

Canal Drawdown Begins on Monday, Sept. 26

Water level in the Canal will be lowered in several areas of Delaware Canal State Park beginning on Monday, September 26. The drawdown will allow for preventive maintenance, inspections and several small repair projects. Large stretches of the Canal will have low water levels until work is completed. It is anticipated that rewatering will begin on November 1.

Areas affected will include:

  • Raubsville: Smith’s Bridge (Woody’s Bridge)
  • Raubsville: Lock 22/23 (Groundhog Lock)
  • Solebury Township: Lower Limeport Bridge
  • Solebury Township: Bowman’s Hill
  • Yardley Borough: Lock 5
  • Bristol Township: Airport Road

The full text of the announcement from Joshua S. Swartley, Park Manager, is below:

Delaware Canal State Park is planning for a maintenance drawdown of the canal beginning on September 26, 2016. The canal will be drawn down in multiple sections of the park to perform preventative maintenance, inspections, and to complete several small repair projects.

Work associated with this drawdown will take place at Smith’s Bridge (Woody’s Bridge) in the Raubsville area, Lock 22/23 (Groundhog Lock) in the Raubsville area, Lower Limeport Bridge in the Solebury Township area, the Bowman’s Hill area, the Lock 5 area in Yardley Borough, and in the Airport Road area of Bristol Township.

Due to this drawdown and the low river levels in New Hope, large stretches of the canal will have low water levels until work is completed. It is anticipated that the canal will be re-watered in the beginning of November. Sections of the canal from New Hope south are dependent on higher river levels for re-watering and may take longer to refill. Currently, water levels in the southern portion of the canal are extremely low and in some areas non-existent due to the lack of water at the New Hope inlet.

Drawdown of the canal must take place between July 15th and October 1st, due to the regulations established by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to protect the imperiled eastern redbelly turtle. During the drawdown period, park staff will be on site to remove and relocate any turtles, fish, and 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 or would like additional information about the planned drawdown of the canal please contact the park office for assistance.

Sincerely.

Joshua S. Swartley
Park Manager

Contact Us

Contact Us

Friends of the Delaware Canal
145 South Main Street
New Hope, PA 18938
Phone: 215.862.2021
Michael Ginder, Executive Director

Help the Canal

Help the Canal

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

Get Email Updates