Restoration of the Manayunk Canal - PWD Presentation

7/21/2019 Restoration of the Manayunk Canal - PWD Presentation

1/20

Lance Butler, Manager

Environmental Restoration & Monitoring

Philadelphia Water Department


2/20

ProjectLocationy Locatedinnorthwest

Philadelphia

y BetweenShawmontAvenueandLockStreet

y Approximately1.7

miles

in

length

y Approximately1.2miles

upstreamfrom

the

Citys

QueenLaneIntake

SchuylkillRiver

Wiss

ahick

onCre

ek

Manayu

nkCanal

Queen Lane

Intake


3/20

HistoricalPerspective:

y Completedin1819

y Acomponent

of

the

108

mile

SchuylkillRiverNavigationSystem

y Providedpassage

for

cargo

ships

fromthetidewaters atFairmountinPhiladelphiatoPortCarbon,SchuylkillCounty.

y Providedwaterpowerforfactories,transformingthissectionoftheCityintoamajor

textile

producing

region

Early 20th century photographs of upper

portion of Manayunk Canal showing theSluice House and Lock 68.


4/20

HistoricalPerspective:

y ProvidedeasytransportofanthracitecoalandagriculturalproductsintotheCity.

y In1842,completionoftherailroadlinefromPhiladelphiatoSchuylkillCountymarkedthedeclineofthecanalsystem.

y Lastcoaltransportthroughthecanaloccurredin1917

y Lastcommercialtrafficin1922

y Decommissionedinthe1940sandfell

into

disrepair

over

the

next

five

decades

Recreational activities along the Manayunk

Canal at Leverington Street (Circa 1918)


5/20

EcologicalPerspective

y Highlyproductive

y

Supports

large

populations

of:y Fishy Macroinvertebratesy Amphibiansy Reptilesy Birds

y 2003surveyrevealed13speciesoffishy Pollutiontolerantassemblagey

Results

suggest

a

stressed

communityy Stuntedgrowthinvariousspecies

y Ecologyreflectslowgradient,slowmovingwaterconditions

Staff scientists from PWD performing a

fisheries survey in the Manayunk Canal(2003)

A Great Blue Heron wading in the upstream

portion of Manayunk Canal (2000)


6/20

Water

Quality

Concerns

AlgalBlooms

y Canoccurfrequentlyduringthe

summermonths

in

low

flow

conditions

y Aestheticallyunpleasing

y Profoundimpactonwaterqualityandaquaticorganisms

y TasteandodorconcernsforCitysdrinkingwater(e.g.,Geosmin&MIB)

Algal bloom during drought conditions

in 1999 (Upstream view at Lock Street)

Floating mats of benthic algae at Lock

Street bridge (2006)


7/20

WaterQuality

Concerns

DissolvedOxygen

y Lowdissolvedoxygenconditionsinthe

canal

are

aresult

of:

y Stagnantflow

y Minimalfreshwaterinputs

y Chronicinputs

of

BOD

(Biochemical

Oxygen

Demand)

y Highoxygendemandinthesediment(SOD)

y LargefluctuationsinDOduetoprimaryproductivity(i.e.,algae)

y Haveresultedinthreesignificantfishkillsinthecanaloverthelastdecade

Hemorrhagic septicemia in Gizzard shad as a

result of chronic low dissolved oxygen in the

canal (Manayunk Canal, 2003)

Fish kill in the Manayunk Canal as a result of lowflow, high temperatures and algae bloom

( June, 2011)


8/20

y Sedimentinputsfromhillslopeprocesses

y Landuseactivitiesy Masserosiony Roads

y Transportoflegacysedimentsdownstream

y Bankerosioninupstreamareasofthecanal

y Lackofsedimentmanagementprogram(O&M)

Water

Quality

Concerns

Siltation

Sediment accrual in the Manayunk Canal atLeverington Street and Domino Lane (2011)


9/20

y Heavyaccumulationof:y Bottles,

cans,

plastics

y Constructiondebrisy Volatiles(paints,gasoline)y Woodydebris

y Aestheticallyunpleasing

y Potentialacuteeffectstoaquaticlife

y Odorsemanatingfromorganic

decomposition

y Causefrequentdebrisjamsatlowerportionofcanal

Water

Quality

Concerns

Trash&Debris

Trash and debris present in the lower portion

of the canal (Lock Street, 2002)


10/20

PastRestorationProjectsy LockStreetBridge 1997

y CottonStreetCrossing 1998

y ManayunkCanalBoardwalk 2001

y ManayunkCanalBankRestoration 2002

y LockStreetToFountainStreetLandscapingAndLighting 2004

y ManayunkCanalRestorationProject(PhaseIII) 2005y Timber

Cribbing

y Bulkheadsy Fencingy Landscaping

y ManayunkCanalTowPathRestoration2012 Restoration of the boardwalk and left bank ofManayunk Canal between Lock Street and

Leverington Street (PP&R, 2000)


11/20

CurrentRestoration&EnhancementProjectsAlongManayunkCanal

Aerial View Of Venice Island

Project (2011)


12/20

GoalsOfTheManayunkCanalImprovementProject:y Aesthetics

y Thisphaseofthecanalimprovementprojectswillimproveandenhancethepark/naturallandscapearea

y HistoricalPreservationy Manayunk

canal

is

amajor

contributing

element

to

the

ManayunkNationalHistoricDistrict

y RecreationAndAthleticProgramsy Bikingy Kayakingandcanoeingy Fishing

y Commercial/Businessy Encourage/promotebusinessestousecanalasastorefrontamenity(e.g.,BourbonBlue)

y SourceWaterProtectiony ImprovetheintegrityabovetheCitysdrinkingwater

intake

y

Ecology

y SignificantimprovementstotheenvironmentalqualityofthisareaofPhiladelphia

y EnsurethehealthandpersistenceoftheCitysaquaticresources

y Synergyy SimultaneouslymeetingthegoalsofbothCityagencies

y

PWDy PP&R


13/20

ManayunkCanal

New Channel

NewSluiceGateStructure

NewFlowDiversionStructure

SpillwayExpansion

Dredging

SchuylkillRiver

ManayunkCanal

PlannedImprovementstoCanal

UpstreamLock

System


14/20

y Criticalcomponentto

successof

this

project

y Threesignificantdredge

locations:y Site1:CanalAtParkerAvenue

y Site2: CanalatDominoLane

y Site3: UpstreamLock(PWD)

y Approximately5,600cubicyardsofsedimentremoved

anne mprovementsto ana

Dredging

And

Sediment

Removal

Sediment accrual in canal

at Site 2 (2011)


15/20

CurrentStatusy SpillwayRehabilitation

y FederalandStatepermitsunderreview

y Designsandspecifications 60%

y AttractionFlowStructurey Designsandspecifications 30%y Hydraulics

and

hydrologic

modeling Complete(underreview)

y Dredging

y Prepermit

meeting

with

PADEP

andUSACE July7th

y Permitsubmittedy Additioninformationrequestedby

USACE

Manayunk Canal at upstream lock (Lock 68),

1918

Manayunk Canal at upstream lock (Lock 68),

2011


16/20

30% Rendering


17/20

30% Rendering

Frontal View


18/20

UpdatedTimeLine

Completion!

Fall 2013

Winter 2012

2014

Spring 2013


19/20

Partners

y PhiladelphiaWaterDepartment

y PhiladelphiaParks&Recreation

y

Capital

Program

Office

y ManayunkDevelopmentCorporation

y TheSchuylkillProject

y FriendsoftheManayunkCanal Clean up activities along the lower portion ofthe Manayunk Canal (2003)


20/20

Questions

Documents

Restoration of the Manayunk Canal - PWD Presentation