DCNR: Water Returns to Portion of Flood-Damaged Delaware Canal After Six Years

EASTON, Pa., July 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Water is again flowing in a section of the Delaware Canal that had been closed for nearly six years following several major floods. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary John Quigley today joined friends and partners in celebrating the canal's re-watering and the restoration of the towpath trail in Delaware Canal State Park.  

"The Delaware Canal is the last remaining canal in America capable of being fully watered, so it gives us great pleasure today to 're-water' this section," Quigley said at a ceremony at the Forks of the Delaware Recreation Area adjacent to the Canal in Easton. "Once a major transportation corridor connecting places and people, this canal now connects people to our natural resources, serving as a popular canoeing, hiking and biking route."

A walk along the 60-mile towpath trail is like taking a stroll into American history. The Delaware Canal is the only continuously intact canal from the early- and mid-19th century's great towpath canal building era. Paralleling the Delaware River between Easton and Bristol, Delaware Canal State Park contains the historic canal and towpath, many miles of river shoreline and 11 river islands.

The Delaware Canal served as a major transportation route from 1832 to 1931, enabling the transportation of anthracite coal on mule-drawn barges to major industrial sites near Philadelphia and helping to fuel America's industrial revolution.

The canal's restoration is important for more than just historical reasons, Quigley said, noting that outdoor recreation and heritage tourism provided at Pennsylvania's state parks helps to boost local economies.

"An economic impact analysis of state parks based on 2008 data showed visitors to parks spent $818.3 million on their trips, supported 10,551 jobs, and provided $291.4 million in labor income," Quigley said. "That's a bonus added to the health, recreation, quality of life, habitat and environmental benefits our state parks and forests provide for all Pennsylvanians."

The canal was damaged by floods that occurred in October 2004, April 2005 and June 2006.

The commonwealth oversaw 13 individual contracts, totaling approximately $33 million, to complete the flood repairs and some additional work to the Delaware Canal.

The work extended from Easton to Yardley and included repairs to the towpath embankment; removing debris and relining the canal bottom; and repairs to walls, gates, locks, aqueducts and culverts.

About 75 percent of the funding was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the remaining 25 percent coming from the commonwealth's capital budget. The first of the 13 projects was bid in July 2007 with all work being completed by June 30, 2010.

Additional work and support came from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; contractors; Friends of the Delaware Canal; Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor; Historical Delaware Canal Improvements Corp.; local legislators; and neighbors who allowed access to the canal.

"The canal is back," Friends of the Delaware Canal Executive Director Susan Taylor said. "We are so pleased to see visitors and wildlife rediscovering the towpath and waterway and are grateful to all the people who supported the Canal's restoration and worked so hard to make it whole again."

For more information about Delaware Canal State Park, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us, and choose "Find a Park."

Media contact: Christina Novak, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources