News Release
For Immediate Release
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room, 308, Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Contact:
Jill Goodrich
717-783-1116
Gretchen A. Leslie
DCNR Press Secretary
717-772-9101
GOV. SCHWEIKER UNVEILS PLANS FOR HISTORIC LOCK RESTORATION IN BUCKS COUNTY
Celebrates efforts of Historic Delaware Canal Improvement Corporation
NEW HOPE, Bucks County (Sept. 23, 2002) -- As part of the continuing efforts to rehabilitate and enhance Delaware Canal State Park, Gov. Mark Schweiker today unveiled plans to restore Lock 11 in New Hope, Bucks County.
“Today is a celebration of the hard work, partnerships and outstanding achievements that are helping to restore one of Pennsylvania’s gems,” Gov. Schweiker said. “The historic Delaware Canal State Park is a significant part of not only Pennsylvania’s rich heritage, but also a significant part of our future as well.
“This once-neglected park wasn’t nearly what we see today. Call it a diamond in the rough. It was a leaky, weed-strewn canal with no recreational amenities. The towpath was unusable by many.
“However, local officials and this Administration saw it for the jewel it could be. We’ve already made great progress, and our diamond is starting to shine.”
The park, stretching 60 miles from Easton, Northampton County, to Bristol, Bucks County, protects the Delaware Canal --the only remaining continuously intact remnant of the 19th century towpath canal era. In addition to being a Pennsylvania state park, the canal is a National Historic Landmark, and the towpath is a designated National Heritage Hiking Trail. The canal also is a vital component of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and State Heritage Park.
Today’s announcement of $1.1 million in Transportation Enhancement monies administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will be used to restore Lock 11 to its historic operating condition. This restoration project will allow mule-drawn boats from the New Hope Canal Boat Company to pass through a Delaware Canal lock for the first time in over 70 years.
Work will include:
- Excavating several feet of sediment from the lock chamber and canal cross section;
- Rebuilding stone masonry walls on the downstream end of the lock chamber;
- Repairing or replacing timber portions of the lock floor;
- Replacing two timber miter gates, installed into the existing gate recesses;
- Replacing the upstream drop gate, which controls the water coming into the lock chamber, the remains of which are still visible;
- Replicating a wicket shanty that existed when the canal was in operation. The small building will house gears controlling the upstream wicket gates; and
- Replacing the pedestrian bridge at its original location to allow passage of boats through Lock 11.
“Once complete, we’ll see a lock working the same way it did more than 150 years ago,” Gov. Schweiker said. “In its time, this lock helped thousands of mule-drawn barges haul millions of tons of Pennsylvania coal to cities on the eastern seaboard.
“Restoring this lock to its original working condition is happening in part because of the strong partnerships that have formed to support this magnificent natural and historical treasure.”
Gov. Schweiker praised the efforts of the Historic Delaware Canal Improvement Corporation (HDCIC), an organization formed in 2000 to raise funds for canal restoration projects and enhancements to the state park. Over two years the group has raised $2 million and was instrumental in the acquisition of funding for the Lock 11 project. HDCIC also secured $500,000 in funds for educational programs and facilities throughout the park and $250,000 for an outdoor amphitheater at the proposed Rivers Center in Easton.
Historically, the Delaware Canal has been plagued with structural weaknesses; waterway and towpath obstructions; inadequate water flow; flooding; leaks; water-quality concerns; lack of recreational amenities; and funding problems.
“Our long-term goal is to return the 60-mile canal to a first-class recreational facility for hikers, bikers, canoeists and heritage travelers,” Gov. Schweiker said.
In 1997, the Administration unveiled a five-year, $7.65 million plan for Delaware Canal State Park designed to create recreational opportunities; provide a safe and pleasant environment for visitors; eliminate or reduce the current rate of canal deterioration; enhance the local economy through tourism; and begin a systematic program for restoring the historic canal.
One of the first projects to rehabilitate the canal was a yearlong, $2.9 million dredging job in Yardley and Lumberville in Bucks County.
This restoration included relining the canal with clay to restore it to its original dimensions and reconstruction of the towpath. As a result of the project, a two-mile-long silt waterway obstruction was removed in Yardley.
Other improvements included:
- A $2.2 million restoration of the Tohickon Aqueduct, the only broken link in the Delaware Canal. The structure was rebuilt with wood, restoring its historic and aesthetic values;
- $1.3 million in renovations to Groundhog Lock near Raubsville, Northampton County. Left to deteriorate, the damaged lock would have prevented all water from flowing south; and
- $2 million in recreational improvements including resurfacing 30 miles of the towpath, two restrooms, parking areas and canoe access points.
Gov. Schweiker noted that the second phase of the recreational improvements -- including the remaining 30 miles of towpath resurfacing -- is set to begin this fall. Plans for a $2 million Rivers Center at Easton are in design and expected to be bid in 2003.
The five-year plan to upgrade the park resulted from several years of planning and input from legislators, citizens and state officials. In 1995, state legislators in the region formed the Delaware Canal State Park Caucus to address the issues of the canal. A 17-member advisory committee made up of local citizens and businesses also provides input to DCNR on the park’s management.
For more information about Delaware Canal State Park, call (610) 982-5560, or log onto the PA PowerPort at www.state.pa.us, PA Keyword: “state parks.”
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