Delaware Canal State Park will begin a drawdown of water levels in the canal this week to conduct several repair and preventative maintenance projects in two areas of the park.
Park Manager Josh Swartley said canal 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 to help facilitate the bridge replacement project at Phillips Mill.
Drawdown of the canal must take place before Oct. 15 to comply with 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.
