Popular stretch of Delaware Canal in Bucks County turns into foul-smelling mess with hundreds of dead fish
A stretch of the Delaware Canal in Solebury Township, Bucks County, has turned into a foul-smelling scene, with hundreds of dead and decaying fish, swarms of flies and growing concern among residents and visitors.
The canal, which typically flows alongside the Delaware River, has dried up for several miles, leaving behind what witnesses describe as an unsettling and unusual sight.
"It smells. You can see all the flies, the dead fish," Brian, a weekly visitor from Doylestown, said. "So, it's disappointing."
Residents say the affected stretch runs from New Hope to the Centre Bridge area, appearing unusually dry and lifeless.
"It's a long stretch," Brian said. "It certainly looks cataclysmic with how dry it looks."
Without water, fish have died in large numbers, attracting flies and creating an unpleasant environment along the towpath, a popular destination for walkers, joggers and bicyclists.
"It's very sad and very disturbing," Gina Roche, who lives in New Hope, said. "It's not good for tourism in the area either because nobody wants to walk or bike on the path when it smells like this."
Roche said she has seen similar conditions in the canal before, but never this severe.
"I think about all the wildlife that it's destroying," she said. "The last time this happened, there were turtles crawling out of the mud, dead fish flapping on the basin of the canal. And it's so unnecessary."
The cause of the problem appears to be mechanical. About 2 miles north near Centre Bridge, a pump designed to divert water from the Delaware River into the canal was found knocked over and nonfunctional.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provided a detailed statement:
"The Center Bridge pump at Delaware Canal State Park was found knocked over and determined to be non-functional. The Center Bridge pump is responsible for bringing water into the New Hope section of the canal. The river levels in the Center Bridge area of the canal are normal for this time of year, and no known storm event impacted the pump.
River conditions must first recede and stabilize to allow staff to safely return the pump to an upright position. In addition, electrical issues have been identified with the switch that controls the pump.
Once the pump is restored to position, staff will proceed with further electrical diagnostics and necessary repairs.
Current conditions indicate that water levels in New Hope are decreasing. With minimal precipitation forecasted, canal water levels are expected to continue to drop, so we are hopeful to upright the pump soon. We will provide updates on timelines for returning the pump to service as soon as possible."
Officials have not identified a definitive cause of the damage, though a spokesperson said it may have been struck by debris in the river.
In the meantime, the dry canal continues to impact both the local environment and quality of life.
"Very concerned," Edward Leydon of Solebury said. "This is a real key feature of living here and visiting here."
Officials say conditions are improving slightly, but there is no immediate timetable for when the pump will be fixed or when water will return to the canal.