Water Availability on the C&O Canal

Hello Level Walkers,

The NPS has provided guidance regarding water availability on the C&O Canal NHP.

Thanks for your support, Steve

Starting in spring 2023, the well water in hiker-biker campsites will be signed non-potable. Water from wells at paid campgrounds will remain potable and safe for drinking, cooking, or washing.  

 Why the change? 

We want to ensure that there is a more reliable water source year-round for visitors in the park and that the drinking water that is provided is as safe as it can possibly be, especially considering that our wells are in a flood zone. 

The park will maintain potable water in a targeted number of wells in fee campgrounds. However, as a general precaution for wells located in a flood zone, you are advised to boil or treat the water before use for your own protection. Well handles will be removed from fee campgrounds in mid-November to protect against freeze as we normally do. 

For hiker-biker campgrounds, the wells will be signed as non-potable and we ask that visitors bring their own water supply or water sanitizing equipment to treat well water before use. The wells will remain in operation in hiker-biker campgrounds year-round. As long as visitors bring their own sanitization equipment there will be a more reliable water source, as handles will not be removed from these wells.  

What about water in park buildings? 

Visitor Centers, park buildings, and comfort stations are provided water by the nearby municipality and do not require drinking water sampling by the park. Please note that the Swains Lock campsite draws on the same municipal water as the Swains Lockhouse and will remain potable.  

How can visitors purify non-potable water? 

  • Treat it! Use water purification tablets. The purification tablets — which contain iodine, halazone, or chlorine — kill most waterborne bacteria, viruses, and some (but not all) parasites. Over time purification tablets lose their potency, so keep your supply fresh.  
  • Filter it! Because some parasites — such as Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and larger bacteria — are not killed by purification tablets, you should also use a water filter. 
  • Boil it! Boiling will kill microorganisms. First, bring water to a rolling boil, and then continue boiling for at least 1 minute. Before heating, muddy water should be allowed to stand for a while to allow the silt to settle to the bottom – dip the clear water off the top and boil. 

Water purification tablets, filters, and sanitizing tablets can be purchased at camping supply stores. 

So where can visitors find water in the park?

A list of wells across the park is available on  our website. 

Drive-In Campsites: Well water within the drive-in campsites is potable and treated with iodine – do NOT drink if you have any iodine allergies or if you are on medication for an overactive thyroid. In general, well water is clean and able to be used without additional treatment. However, as a general precaution for wells located in a flood zone, you are advised to boil or treat the water before use for your own protection. 

Hiker-Biker Campsites: Non-potable water is available in hiker-biker campsites. Please plan to filter, chemically treat, or boil the water before use for your own protection. 

 Please encourage visitors to always have a water plan! 

Water availability is subject to change. Always plan accordingly and bring plenty of water with you as a backup option. 

 Where can visitors find more information about water in the park? 

Information about water is listed on multiple pages of our website (we always try to repeat important information to help visitors find what they are looking for no matter what page they initially load). 

 Our main Current Conditions page lists the status of all wells in the park: https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm 

Water information can also be found on the following webpages: 

Additionally, water information is listed on the NPS app and each well has a sign informing visitors if the water is potable or non-potable. 

Volunteer Activity Suspension and Wildflower Walk

Hello Level Walkers,

Two notices from the park follow. Please note the suspension of volunteer activities on Saturday. When activities are suspended your volunteer service agreement is invalid for the time of the suspension and you are not authorized to perform volunteer work or protected in the event of injury. If ou choose to visit the park during that time you are doing so at your own risk.

Thanks for all you do – Steve

There is currently a high wind watch from Saturday 8am until Sunday 2am for portions of central & western Maryland and D.C. The forecast is calling for winds up to 65 mph. When the wind reaches 30 mph, volunteers are required to stand down. Therefore, outdoor volunteer operations for Saturday, April 1st are suspended. 

Please keep an eye on the weather forecast on Saturday and plan accordingly. Volunteer operations may resume on Sunday, April 2nd if wind speeds (including gusts) have fallen below 30 mph. If you have any questions, please contact your program coordinator. 

Thank you and stay safe!

Sarah Brown, the park’s Biological Science Technician, is offering a wildflower hike for volunteers. Space is limited and you will need to sign-up. Here is the information – 

 VIP Speaker Series – Wildflower Hike at Ferry Hill

DATE: April 14, 2023

TIME: 10am – 12pm

LOCATION: Ferry Hill in Sharpsburg, MD

DESCRIPTION: A guided hike along the Ferry Hill trail and towpath with Sarah Brown to look for and learn about wildflowers and pollinators. Please wear appropriate hiking shoes and bring water. The Ferry Hill trail is not flat, so volunteers must be able to walk down hill and uphill. The hike will last approximately 2 hours. 

TO SIGN-UP: This opportunity is limited to 15 volunteers, and you must sign-up to attend. Please email emily_hewitt@nps.gov noting your volunteer program and the area of the park where you volunteer. 

DEADLINE: You must email by April 8th to sign-up. 

Mileposts and Calendar Photo Submissions

Hello Level Walkers,

Jim Tomlin, Jim Heins and other volunteers are working on a project to replace some of the C&O Canal mileposts that are in poor condition. You may recall that the markers were repainted by Meredith Matczak, Jim Tomlin, and Mike Bucci (See June 2020 Along the Towpath https://candocanal.org/atp/2020-06.pdf). Since then it has been noted that some of the mileposts need to be replaced. Jim and Jim have worked with the NPS to get the molds to make new markers and will be making and replacing ones that really need help. These are markers that are broken, heavily gouged or worn down. If they need painting they don’t necessarily need replacement.

Your help is requested. If you are aware of a marker on your level (or elsewhere) that is a candidate for replacement, please let me know at lw@candocanal.org and I will pass it on to Jim and Jim. Send photos that illustrate the condition. At the present time they have identified Mileposts 5, 6, 8, 57, 77, 85, 120, 141 and 155. Your help will be greatly appreciated!

The NPS has passed on the annual request for calendar photos. The calendar uses photos taken by C&O Canal volunteers and staff. The following notice from Emily Hewitt provides dates, details and submission information. Please remember that sending the highest quality resolution helps with use of your photo.

It is time for volunteers and staff to submit photos for the 2024 C&O Canal calendar! Photos of all areas of the park, through all four seasons will be included in the calendar. So if you have photos of historic structures, flora/fauna, volunteers, or just about anything else in the park, please submit them! 

You may submit your photos by email or via Google Drive to chohvip@gmail.com. If you have multiple photos with large file sizes, you may want to batch your photos in multiple emails to ensure they go through. 

Please label your photo files with the location and name of photographer.  

– For example: BigSlackwater_Jane_Doe. 

The deadline for submission is Friday, May 5th, 2023. If your photograph is selected, you will be contacted and credited in the calendar.

C&O Canal Notices

Hello Level Walkers,

Two notices from the NPS follow.

Dear Volunteers, 

This year we are moving from the virtual VIP Speaker Series presentations to in-person resource knowledge building field trips. We will offer a variety of learning opportunities at locations across the park. Here is information about the first opportunity – 

VIP Speaker Series – C&O Canal NHP Museum Collection

DATE: March 30, 2023

TIME: 11am

LOCATION: Park Headquarters in Williamsport

DESCRIPTION: Museum Curator, Blyth McManus, will host a presentation about the park’s museum collection. Blyth will provide a brief history of the collection and talk about how the park manages it. Blyth will have a few objects from the C&O Canal on-hand to show and talk about what we can learn from them. 

Volunteers can also sign up to take a tour of the new park headquarters facility before the presentation. 

TO SIGN-UP: This opportunity is limited to 10 volunteers from each district (west, middle, and east) and you must sign-up to attend. Please email emily_hewitt@nps.gov noting your volunteer program and the area of the park where you volunteer. Also indicate whether you would like to take a tour of headquarters. 

DEADLINE: You must email by March 15 to sign-up. 

Thanks!

Emily Durán Hewitt

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park 

News Release 

For Immediate Release: February 23, 2023 

Park Contact: Christiana Hanson, 301-491-6265, Christiana_Hanson@nps.gov 

NPS to Repair Level 33 Stone Wall along the C&O Canal 

Construction will require closure of part of Harpers Ferry Road beginning March 20.

33 Dry-Laid Stone Wall Repair Project Detour Map 

WILLIAMSPORT, Md.— The National Park Service (NPS) will begin construction on the Level 33 dry-laid stone wall just across the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry, WV this March. The wall shows significant signs of instability and stone loss, causing distress and unsafe conditions on the supported public roadway. Repair of the wall will include disassembling the existing stone wall, re-assembling the wall and restoring the roadway. This work will stabilize the area to meet current engineering standards and ensure safety to the local community that utilizes the road. The Level 33 wall is located at Mile Marker 61.5 of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, between locks 33 and 34.

During construction, the NPS will close Harpers Ferry Road between Hoffmaster Road and the school bus turnaround on Sandy Hook Road on March 20 (weather dependent) to public vehicles. A detour will be available along alternate public roadways – the same detour that was used during the previous Harpers Ferry Road slope stabilization project.  

After a portion of the wall is disassembled, the NPS will use concrete backfill behind the wall to establish a single travel lane to facilitate passage for critical emergency management services and first responders, which will be available for use in early Summer 2023. At the end of the project, the pavement and guardrails along Harper’s Ferry Road will be replaced and the road will be reopened to the public. 

The towpath will remain open during this project.

-NPS- 

Preserving America’s early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber, and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today it endures as a pathway for discovering historical, natural, and recreational treasures. Learn more at www.nps.gov/choh.  

Volunteer Meeting Notes

Hello Level Walkers,

The following notes are from the 8 February Volunteer meeting.

Thanks for your support! – Steve

Dear Volunteers, 

On February 8, we held our 1st quarterly volunteer call. Hopefully some of you were able to make it, but for those who could not attend, here are some updates that Christiana provided. I have also attached the organizational chart for the division of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers, since we have some new staff members. If you have questions about park operations, please contact me.

  • The park recently kicked off the process of creating a Development Concept Plan (DCP) for the Great Falls area. This will be a lengthy process and there will be a time in the future for community input. We will update volunteers as the process continues. 
  • The park is finalizing a Detail to fill the Great Falls Interpretive Supervisor (the position previously held by Pete Peterson who has retired).  We anticipate this 120-day detail will start this spring and be here through the summer. We are working with HR to advertise this position in order to find a long-term new supervisor. 
  • Education Interns – we have 2-3 interns who will come on in late February/early March to support the park’s K-12 school program. 
  • Interpretation Interns – we are currently hiring five 6-month interns and three year-long interns to support interpretive programs.  Interns will work out of Great Falls, Williamsport, and Cumberland and help with things like boat programs, Visitor Center operations, and public programs.
  • Georgetown’s outdoor visitor services have paused until spring and the VC is still under construction. 
  • Great Falls VC is open 5 days a week.  
  • Williamsport and Cumberland VCs are closed until March 4th.  They will reopen on Saturdays and Sundays. We are increasing staffing with interns and volunteers and will expand hours as staffing capacity increases. 
  • The Brunswick Heritage Museum (the park VC is housed inside the museum) is closed until March 18th.
  • The park continues working with local stakeholders to stand up visitor center operations in Hancock. 
  • Upcoming interpretive programming includes the FY23 season for the boats in Williamsport, Great Falls, and Georgetown (operated through our partner Georgetown Heritage), angler programs throughout the park, bike safety-focused programs, lock demonstrations, Meet the Mules programs, the Trails and Rails program, and many more!  Keep an eye on the park calendar for the latest schedule.   
  • For maintenance project updates, keep an eye on the Park Project page or the park’s social media accounts.  You can follow the park on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/chesapeakeandohiocanal  

Thank you, 

Emily Durán Hewitt

January 2023 Level Walker Update

Hello Level Walkers,

It has come to my attention that the email distribution of this didn’t get to everyone on the first submission – so here it is again. I apologize for any duplication.

I hope 2023 is off to a great start for you! Like you, I am looking forward to another year of supporting the park.

One of my duties as the level walker chairperson is to monitor compliance with NPS and C&O Canal Association policies. For the NPS policies, I need to ensure that you are up-to-date on any NPS training and job requirements and have a current Volunteer Service Agreement on file. All current volunteers have completed the training/job requirements. The VSAs that were submitted in 2022 or later are still valid. At the present time I have not been informed of a need to update them for 2023. If you missed doing an updated VSA in 2022 I will be checking with you.

The Association requires level walker program participants to be current members and to submit at least one level walk report per year. I will review membership status and level walker activity in February. If your membership has lapsed and/or I have not received a recent report from you I will be in touch to determine if you want to remain in the program.

The NPS will have an all-volunteer call on February 8 as noted in the following announcement. You may note that the level walker program is not directly called out in the Volunteer Program Action Plan. The program is directly managed by the C&O Canal Association, although we are expected to comply with NPS training, certification and regulatory requirements. I coordinate management and reporting of the level walker program directly with the NPS volunteer manager at headquarters.

Thanks for your support! – Steve

Dear Volunteers, 

Happy new year! In 2023, we are holding quarterly all-volunteer calls to provide you with information and updates about the park. We started these virtual meetings because of the pandemic, but have found that it is a great way to connect with volunteers across the park at one time. 

Our 1st quarterly call is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8 from 11:30am-12:45pm and will be held on Microsoft Teams. There is a phone call-in option if you cannot join via computer.

During the call, our staff will introduce themselves and there are many new faces! We will review theVolunteer Program Action Plan and make sure volunteers know what to expect in FY23. Christiana Hanson, Chief of IEV, will be on hand to answer questions. Please try to get into the meeting 5-10 minutes early to allow for any troubleshooting or issues. 

Thanks, and we look forward to “seeing” you on February 8.

________________________________________________________________________________

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January 2023 Level Walker Update

Hello Level Walkers,

I hope 2023 is off to a great start for you! Like you, I am looking forward to another year of supporting the park.

One of my duties as the level walker chairperson is to monitor compliance with NPS and C&O Canal Association policies. For the NPS policies, I need to ensure that you are up-to-date on any NPS training and job requirements and have a current Volunteer Service Agreement on file. All current volunteers have completed the training/job requirements. The VSAs that were submitted in 2022 or later are still valid. At the present time I have not been informed of a need to update them for 2023. If you missed doing an updated VSA in 2022 I will be checking with you.

The Association requires level walker program participants to be current members and to submit at least one level walk report per year. I will review membership status and level walker activity in February. If your membership has lapsed and/or I have not received a recent report from you I will be in touch to determine if you want to remain in the program.

The NPS will have an all-volunteer call on February 8 as noted in the following announcement. You may note that the level walker program is not directly called out in the Volunteer Program Action Plan. The program is directly managed by the C&O Canal Association, although we are expected to comply with NPS training, certification and regulatory requirements. I coordinate management and reporting of the level walker program directly with the NPS volunteer manager at headquarters.

Thanks for your support! – Steve

Dear Volunteers, 

Happy new year! In 2023, we are holding quarterly all-volunteer calls to provide you with information and updates about the park. We started these virtual meetings because of the pandemic, but have found that it is a great way to connect with volunteers across the park at one time. 

Our 1st quarterly call is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8 from 11:30am-12:45pm and will be held on Microsoft Teams. There is a phone call-in option if you cannot join via computer.

During the call, our staff will introduce themselves and there are many new faces! We will review theVolunteer Program Action Plan and make sure volunteers know what to expect in FY23. Christiana Hanson, Chief of IEV, will be on hand to answer questions. Please try to get into the meeting 5-10 minutes early to allow for any troubleshooting or issues. 

Thanks, and we look forward to “seeing” you on February 8.

________________________________________________________________________________

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C&O Canal Status Update for 15 December, 2022

Hello Level Walkers,

An important notice about the park’s status for Thursday, 15 December follows. Please heed the guidance provided by the NPS. Also, if you have not gotten a 2023 C&O Canal Calendar and would like one, information to pick those up follows.

Thanks, Steve

With the winter weather advisory for December 15, the volunteer program is suspended on Thursday. Parts of the park may be closed and other parts of the park may be open to the public, but volunteers are not authorized to work in the park. This is to ensure your safety during the winter weather event. If you choose to visit the park on Thursday, December 15 you must do so as a private citizen.

For updates on park closures, please check the alerts page on the park website or follow us on Facebook. 

Stay warm & stay safe!

Level Walkers can pick up a 2023 calendar at the following locations – 

Great Falls Tavern

Wed-Sun 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

(Ask for Tyson or any staff should be able to get the volunteer a calendar)

HQ in Williamsport

Thursday 12/15

Friday 12/16

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. either day

(Ask for Joshua or Rosie)

Volunteer Appreciation Video and Feedback

Hello Level Walkers,

Here are two notifications from the NPS about the recent volunteer events and a volunteer appreciation video.

Thanks for all you do!

Steve

Thank you to those who were able to attend the volunteer appreciation events this month! We would love to get your feedback, so please take a few minutes to fill out this short Volunteer Appreciation Feedback form. Even if you did not make it to either the picnic or the Zoom, there are still a couple of questions on the form that are relevant, and you can give us feedback on why you did not attend the events. 

Dear Volunteers, We are excited to share this year’s volunteer appreciation video with you. Please click on or copy & paste this link to watch the video – https://youtu.be/gA744xykWcc

A huge shout out to our digital media interns Erin and Kaitlyn for producing this excellent video, and a big thanks to the volunteers and staff who took part in it. 

Thank you!

Emily Durán Hewitt

VIP Speaker Series and Volunteer Appreciation Event

Hello Level Walkers,

Thanks for your timely submissions of level walker reports for September. This enabled me to complete the Fiscal Year 2022 report on time.

The park is hosting the last 2022 VIP Speaker Series event on October 27; see below notice from the NPS.

As a reminder, per earlier notification, the virtual volunteer appreciation event is on October 19, and the Western District in-person event is at park headquarters in Williamsport on October 22. I will see you at that event. There is also a Four Locks walking tour on the morning of the 22nd; see the notice below.

VIP Speaker Series Plant and Pollinator Interactions: Knowing Who is Visiting the Flowers

Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

For our last presentation of the year, we welcome Sarah Brown from the Natural Resources staff. Plants grow, flower, produce seeds, and repeat this cycle. However, seed production doesn’t typically just happen! Many plants need a pollinator partner to complete this cycle. Join us to learn about the basics of understanding why, when, how, and who visits flowers and how knowing this information impacts natural resources in the park.
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Four Locks Walking Tour

An exciting addition to the plans for Saturday, October 22nd is that volunteer Lowell Markey will be leading a walking program at Four Locks that morning.

Details on Four Locks Program on October 22nd from 10:30am-12pm: Lowell will talk about the community of Four Locks that existed during Canal operations which included stores, a post office and school, a dry dock repair facility and other features. The walk will cover about a half mile. Participants should meet Lowell at the Four Locks boat ramp parking lot at 10:30 am.