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Number 65 www.canalwatch.org February 2019
Saturday, May 18, 2019
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE CANAL WATCH FUND-RAISER: DINNER ON THE CANAL BOAT AND A CHANCE TO “LOCK
THROUGH”
Join the D&R Canal Watch on board the Josiah White, a replica canal boat on the Lehigh Canal in Easton, Pennsylvania. Cruise along this scenic and historic waterway. Enjoy dinner as the mules, Hank and George, tow us to the Abbott Street Lock. Experience the thrill as our vessel enters the lock and descends to the next level of the canal. Watch as the locktenders crank the machinery, as the old canallers did so long ago. Our buffet dinner will include three entrees, salad, beverages, and dessert. Entertainment by Roy Justice, the singing historian. All profits will be used for a restoration project in the D&R Canal State Park. All of this and more for only $100 per person. Enjoy the unique experience of dinner on the canal.
You may register on our website at www.canalwatch.org. Go to “Contact and Join” and click the “Buy Now” button at the top. Or, if you prefer, just send your check, payable to the D&R Canal Watch, to D&R Canal Watch, P.O. Box 2, Rocky Hill 08553 and include the form below.
The D&R Canal Watch P.O. Box 2
Rocky Hill, New Jersey 08553
908-240-0488
www.canalwatch.org
https://www.facebook.com/dandrcanalwatch/
———————— Board of Trustees
Linda Barth, president Barbara Ross, vice president
Wayne Petko, secretary Tom Lederer, treasurer
Robert Barth Ted Chase
George Dawson Ellen Kaplan
Michael Kaplan Doug McCray
Jeff McVey Marion Munk
Ed Sproles Jean Bruno Stremlo
Diane Tartaglia Pamela V’Combe
————————- Our Mission
The D&R Canal Watch is an independent, nonprofit organiza-tion working to engage the public in the protection of the environ-ment and preservation of the heritage of the D&R Canal.
Name(s) _________________________________________ Phone _______________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________________
Email _________________________________________ # of people @ $100 ____ Total enclosed _____
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“Take a Photo from the Towpath”
contest!
Submit it for our 2020 Canal
Calendar!
Take a Photo from the Towpath contest! Submit it for our
2020 Canal Calendar! Visitors to the Delaware and Raritan Canal experience beautiful views at every turn of the towpath. The D&R Canal Watch invites you to photograph the scenic beauty of our historic waterway and send the photo(s) to us for possible inclusion in our 2020 calendar. The canal has many places that, when captured in a photo, may encourage others to get out and explore the park by foot, bike, canoe, or kayak. CONTINUED
ON THE NEXT PAGE
Photo by Michael Kaplan
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Photos will be judged by professional photographers and twelve images will be selected for the pages of the calendar.
Entry rules for the photography contest will be as follows: • Entries must be received by June 28, 2019. The Canal Watch
will submit them to the judges in July. • Only amateur photographers may submit images to the contest. • The photo(s) must be attached to an email and submitted
electronically to [email protected]; • Each photo must be clearly identified as to the location from which
it was taken and the date taken. Photos can be submitted from any year and showing any season.
• Photos must be submitted in
JPEG format at a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
• The email must contain the
photographer’s name, address, phone number, and email address.
• The D&R Canal Watch reserves
the right to use the contest photo entries with entrant’s name on the Canal Watch website, www.canalwatch.org, in print, and promotional materials.
START SNAPPING! Photo by Denise Schulz
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CANAL WATCH ACTIVITIES FOR 2019 www.canalwatch.org www.dandrcanal.com
All Saturday Canal Walks begin at 10 AM, unless noted. Meeting Places are designated with “(MP)” in the walk description. Contact information for Program Leaders is below. If emailing, use “D&R Canal” in subject header. Bob Barth, 201-401-3121; [email protected] Jessica Hunsdon, 732-993-4505 Pamela V’Combe, 609-635-2783; [email protected] Saturday, February 9 - 10:00 a.m. 6.4 m Walk – Port Mercer to Kingston (MP). Visit the Turning Basin, Mill-stone Aqueduct, and Kingston Lock along this historical corridor. Short walk is 2.6m to Alexander Road. Leader: Pamela V’Combe Saturday, March 9 - 10:00 a.m. 5 m Walk – Kingston to Griggstown Causeway (MP). Discover the area’s min-ing resources, canal villages, a lock and will pass by the woods behind General Washington’s final headquarters. Short walk is 1.9 to Rocky Hill. Leader: Pamela V’Combe Saturday, May 11 - 10:00 a.m. 6 m Walk - Griggstown to Colonial Park (MP) @ 156 Mettlers Road, Parking lot F, Somerset, NJ 08873. Many blooms along the trail in May, including a bridgetender’s garden, abundant flora trail and the nationally acclaimed Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden. Short walk is 3.5m to Blackwell’s Mills. Leader: Pamela V’Combe Saturday, May 18 - 10:00 a.m. History Bike Tour on the D&R Canal towpath from Kingston to Griggstown and back, 10 miles round trip. Explore the structures along the D&R Canal with Canal Watch trustee Bob Barth. Meet at the locktender’s home in Kingston. Bring water; helmet required. Allow three hours. Leader: Bob Barth Sunday, June 2 – 8:00 a.m. Birdwatching walk. Meet at the historic Van Wickle House off Easton Avenue at the foot of DeMott Lane, Somerset section of Franklin. See and hear Baltimore and Orchard orioles and other nesting songbirds as we walk along the Delaware & Raritan Canal. (GPS: 1289 Easton Avenue, Somerset NJ 08873.) Leaders: Barbara & George Dawson, 732-249-2670; email [email protected]. Saturday, June 8 - 10:00 a.m. 5.8 m Walk – East Millstone to Lock 11 in South Bound Brook (MP), across from the post office on Canal Road at Madison Street. Short walk is 2.7 m to Zarephath. East Millstone May be small today, but it was once a booming factory and transportation hub. See the Pillar of Fire site at Zarephath and S. Bound Brook’s GAF factory redesign along the canal, a model of adaptive reuse. Leader: Pamela V’Combe Sunday, June 9 – 2:00 p.m. D&R Canal Watch Annual Meeting at the Griggstown Mule Tenders Barracks. Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the D&R Canal Watch and the 185th Anniversary of the opening of the D&R Canal. Guest speaker Jim Amon will present his spectacular photos of flora and fauna in the park and in the Sourlands. Jim was the first executive director of the D&R Canal Commission and served in that position for 30 years. Contact Linda Barth at 908-240-0488 or [email protected]. GPS address is 4 Griggstown Cause-way, Princeton (Building is in the Griggstown section of Franklin Township, not in Princeton). Saturday, August 10 - 10:00 a.m. 6.2 m Walk- Washington Crossing to Ellarslie, the Trenton City Museum in Cadwalader Park (MP). We will pass by old quarries near Wilburtha and Upper Ferry Roads, several historic canal structures, stop gates, a spillway, an aqueduct, and other historic features. Short walk is 3.6-mile walk to Scud-der’s Falls. Leader: Pamela V’Combe Saturday, September 14 - 10:00 a.m. 5.7m Walk Bulls Island to Holcombe Jimison Farm (MP). Starting at the D&R Feeder Canal origins, we will pass an early 18th century milling village on the confluence of the Delaware River and Wickecheoke Creek, pass through Stockton, and conclude at a historical farm site. Short walk is 3m to Prallsville Mills. Leader: Pamela V’Combe CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
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Saturday, September 14: 11:00-5:00, Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair, Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Experience five centuries of New Jersey’s history all in one place—a historical festival for all ag-es. This free, award-winning event annually draws more than 5,000 visitors. The fair is a fun-filled adventure into New Jersey’s past with living history demonstrations, military reenactors, tours, exhibits, period music and dance, and historical organizations and museums from around the state. There are plenty of hands-on ac-tivities for kids and adults, from learning the art of paper marbling to participating in historical games; to plowing a furrow or participating in a military drill. This is a chance to see the new visitor center at Mon-mouth Battlefield, 16 Highway 33 Business, Manalapan Township, NJ 07726; 732-462-9616. (Rain date: Sunday, September 15) Saturday, October 12 - 10:00 a.m. 5.4 m Walk on the D&R Canal towpath from Fireman’s Eddy to Pralls-ville Mill (MP) The tour will include the historic remnants of the feeder canal outlet lock to the river, other historic canal structures, and expansive views across river. Short walk is 2.6-mile walk to the Holcombe-Jimison Farm. Leader: Pamela V’Combe Friday, November 1 - 7:00-11:00 p.m. Star-gazing along the canal. Griggstown Star Gazing. Join us at the Griggstown Grassland Preserve for an evening of stargazing. The planet Mars will be visible in the south. The Andromeda Galaxy, the farthest object that can be seen with the unaided eye, will be high in the sky. We will be looking at star clusters, open clusters and planetary nebulae in the Milky Way. The Grassland Preserve is located at 1091 Canal Road in Griggstown. Space is limited. Please register by contacting Wayne Petko ([email protected]). Saturday, November 9 - 10:00 a.m. 5.3 m Walk Fireman’s Eddy to Washington Crossing (MP @ Nelson House). See the emerging grassland/meadows restoration project, riparian and edge habitats supporting a large variety wildlife. Along the way, stroll through the picturesque and historic Titusville, ending at the site of the famous Christmas Night Crossing by Washington and the Continental Army. Short walk option is the 4.1-mile walk to Church Road in Titusville. Leader: Pamela V’Combe
D&R Canal Watch 2019 Membership Renewal Form Membership year: January 1 to December 31
Nonprofit Org $10 ____ Individual $15 ____ Family $25 _______ Organization$40 ____ Supporter $100 _______ Patron $250 ______ Business member $500 ____ Benefactor $1000 _____ Name _________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________ State ____________ Zip ______________ Phone(s) _______________________________________________________________________ Email address ___________________________________________________________________
Please send this form and your check, payable to the D&R Canal Watch, to D&R Canal Watch, P.O. Box 2, Rocky Hill, New Jersey 08553-0002. For reasons of fiscal and environmental responsibility, newsletters will be posted on the Canal Watch web-site, www.canalwatch.org, and emailed to members for whom we have email addresses. If you require a paper copy, please check here _____.
Volunteers are needed to lead walks/trips. Do you have computer, photography, or design skills that you are willing to use for the organization? May we call on you? Yes ___ No ___ Try me ____ (circle your skill)
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Canal Dredging Project, Year One, 2018 The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a source of drinking water for millions of central New Jersey residents.
The New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA) is responsible for maintaining the canal to ensure that it can
continue to function as a source of raw drinking water. The canal is fed by the Delaware River and numerous
smaller streams, channels, and other runoff sources along its 60-mile length. The streams and other flows carry
sediment to the canal. This sediment from road and land runoff is deposited in the canal, decreasing its capacity
to convey water. Periodically, the sediment needs to be removed to restore the canal’s original capacity. The
sediment removal process, known as dredging, is necessary to ensure that the canal can continue to provide
a reliable source of drinking water and recreational opportunities to the residents of New Jersey.
The ten-mile section of the canal that is being dredged is located between Route 27 in Kingston and Amwell
Road in East Millstone, all within Franklin Township, Somerset County. This dredging project is expected
to take four years. The actual dredging operations will take place during three consecutive calendar years. The
projected amount of sediment to be removed from the canal is approximately 248,000 cubic yards. As dredging
progresses, the wet sediment will be transported by floating pipes in the canal to a temporary staging area where
the sediment will be dewatered. Once dry enough, the sediment will be trucked to an offsite facility for
beneficial reuse, with the drained water returned to the canal after treatment.
Work in the canal is complete for 2018, and the canal is now open to boaters. In-canal work has been com-pleted in the following three reaches:
• Route 27 to Route 518
• Route 518 to Footbridge near Little Valley Stables
• Griggstown Lock to Griggstown Causeway
Dredged material will continue to dry at an offsite facility over the winter months. Once dry enough, the material will be delivered by truck to the American Cyanamid Superfund Site in Bridge-water, NJ for beneficial reuse.
Work in the canal (debris removal and dredg-ing) will resume in 2019. Three dredging seasons are expected (2018, 2019, 2020). Additional pro-cessing and trucking of dredged sediment will oc-cur outside of those dates.
continued on the next page
Dredge being placed into the canal by the crane in background. Orange piping that conveys dredged sediments is in the foreground. The vertical “posts” are spuds that help the dredge stay in position while in operation. Spuds on the canal project were required to be affixed with square plates to spread the forces and prevent the spuds from penetrating the canal‘s clay liner. On each floating dredge is a cabin for the operator (to the right in the photo), a large pump that pumps the sediment-laden water to the staging (dewatering area), and a generator (to the left in the photo).
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For this project, the New Jersey Water Supply Authority hired the J.F. Brennan Company from LaCoss, Wisconsin. Brennan is a construction, environmental services, and harbor management company focused on providing quality services to both public and private owners of civil infrastructure. Brennan’s ability to innovate has enabled the company to exceed expectations and rou-tinely deliver greater value to its clients. For over 95 years Brennan has worked closely with clients and engineering firms through high levels of integrity and profes-sonalism.
If you need to contact the New Jersey Water Supply Authority or if you would like to be included on the stakeholders list, please send an e-mail
You may also visit the NJ Water Supply
Authority website at www.njwsa.org.
The “business end” of dredge shown mostly submerged in the water. The cutterhead is at end of the boom and is not shown. What you can see at the top of the boom is an elbow on the pipe that conveys the pumped sediment-laden water through the floating piping to the staging ar-ea once the cutterhead disturbs the sediment on the canal bottom.
SAVE THE DATE! SUNDAY, JUNE 9
The Canal Watch Annual Meeting will feature naturalist, photographer and canal enthusiast James C. Amon. For thirty years, Jim Amon served as the executive director of the D&R Canal Commission, guiding that organization through its formative years. After retiring, Jim worked with the D&R Greenway as their land steward. He now spends his time photographing nature’s beauty, both in the Sourland Mountains, in the D&R Canal State Park, and along the many trails in the Garden State. Come and see his beautiful images of the flora and fauna that call New Jersey home.
GIFTS FOR THE PARK
The D&R Canal Watch was happy to purchase a new bicycle rack for park visitors to Bull’s Island. The black, steel rack holds nine bikes.
Squarosa sedge, by Jim Amon
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If you are walking along the Feeder Canal south of Lambertville and you notice an unpleasant odor, the Lambertville Municipal Utilities Authority’s sewer plant personnel would like to know about it. The Canal Watch has been asked to give you the main phone number (for use during business hours) and the hotline number. Please call to report any odors. You will be asked a few questions, such as where you are and
what it smells like. Plant number: 609-397-1496 HOTLINE: 888-214-6830
LOCAL EVENTS YOU MAY WISH TO ATTEND
Monday, February 18 – Hunterdon County 10 a.m. at Chive & Thyme, 1250 Route 31, Lebanon. Bruce Michael, local nature photographer will show photographs that he has taken in and around Hunterdon County of unbe-lievable animals, flowers and nature in general. RSVP to Lynn Burtis 908-782-6428 or e-mail [email protected] by February 14, Valentine’s Day. There will be a ten-dollar charge to cover tea, coffee and goodies. Friends of the Red Mill.
Tuesday, February 19 – Mercer County Expert Eye: Jewelry at 12 noon at the Updike Farmstead, 354 Quaker Road The Historical Society of Princeton presents a third installment of its “Expert Eye” series. This series enlightens participants on topics relating to antiques and material culture. With Valentine’s Day just a few days earlier, the fo-cus on February 19 will be jewelry. Rago’s Director of Jewelry, Katherine Van Dell, who also appears as an expert appraiser for the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow, will share why “Knowledge is a Collector’s Best Friend.” In addition to teaching how to operate as an educated consumer when buying and selling jewelry, topics include: the difference between fair market value, retail value and insurance value; the information that should appear on all receipts when buying jewelry; the right questions to ask before buying or selling; and how to use a loupe. Audience interaction is welcomed and can lead the discussion to include proper repair and/or tricks of the trade, including the safest way to clean one’s jewelry. Guests are invited to bring their own pieces (or photographs) for identification and valuation following the talk. Registration is free for HSP Members, and $5 for non-members. Register at https://princetonhistory.org/ Appointments are required for appraisals; please call Eve Mandel at 609-921-6748 x102. Thursday, February 21 — Mercer County 6:30 p.m. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Garden’s Executive Director Kate Markert One of the wealthiest women in America when she inherited her father's Postum company (later General Foods) at age 27 in 1914, Marjorie Merriweather Post went on to be a pioneering business woman, serious art collector, generous philanthropist, and noted hostess throughout her long life. She created Hillwood, her 25-acre Washington, D.C. estate, in 1955 at age 68, planning from the outset that it would become a public institution upon her death. Executive Director Kate
Markert reveals how Post lived her artful life in her three spectacular homes, Hillwood, TopRidge, and Mar-a-Lago, with her world-class collections and exquisite gardens. Living Artfully will be available for sale and signing following the lecture. Friday, February 22 – Somerset County 6:00pm Annual Meeting - Program and Buffet Dinner to celebrate Washington's Birthday Somerville Elks Lodge, 375 Union Ave, Bridgewater, NJ Open to the public Author of Revolutionary New Jersey Bob Mayers will speak at Washington Campground Assn.
Paid reservations required: Call 732-560-5880. Mayers was lost and stumbling through the thick woods atop the first Watchung ridge above Route 22, in Bridge-water, at the site of Washington's 1777 Revolutionary War Middlebrook Campground. He was searching for a rocky lookout used by General George Washington. This loca-tion was lost in history, but Mayers found a record of it in a 1785 British account. Middlebrook-The Revolutionary War Campground that Saved America Swirling around the Middlebrook Encampment were the battles of Millstone, Bound Brook, the Short Hills (Plainfield, Scotch Plains), the forage war in the Raritan Valley, and the march to Yorktown in 1781. But these sites are unmarked, shrouded in mystery, distorted by mythology and unknown even to local people. Man-made changes to terrain have obscured many of them. Mayers will revive these forsaken locations in Somerset County with research from original military records and on-site visits. Bob Mayers is a storyteller, in the best sense of the word, and a dedicated historian and genealogist. The combination of talents serves him well as an author. He lives in New Jersey and his previously published books include, The War Man, a biography of a soldier who fought all eight years of the Revolutionary War, The For-gotten Revolution and Searching for Private Yankee Doo-dle. Bob is an active member of several historical societies and a frequent speaker and contributor to publications. He has spoken at West Point and the Pentagon and has recently featured on Comcast TV and published in the History Channel Magazine and Garden State Legacy. He served as a combat officer in the Navy and Marine Corps. His military experiences provide him with a deep-er perspective of the battles depicted in his works. Visit him at www.revolutionarydetective.com 6:00 PM - Seating - Music 6:30 PM - Welcome, Business Meeting (election of offic-ers, ...) 7:00 PM - Entertainment 18th Century songs by "Spiced Punch" 7:30 PM - Dinner Buffet & Dessert 8:00 PM - Historical Talk: "Middlebrook-The Revolution-ary War Campground that saved America”
