The Lehigh Canal
A Virtual Tour
Lock #9 to Outlet lock #13 and the end of Section 1
A short distance south of Weissport the canal once again enters into a relatively remote area.
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Lock #9 from the lower end. The lock is overgrown with vegetation and it is difficult to make out the stone wall on the berm side. At this point, the canal is watered but is little more than a stream. Lift was 8.1 feet.
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Fall colors on the canal between lock #9 and lock #10. Below lock #9 the canal is fully watered from bank to bank.
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Lock #10 from upstream. Upper end of lock restored to channel water through the lock. A wood spillway has been installed at the upper end. |
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| Lower end of lock #10 looking back upstream. Lock is of rough stone construction with a wood lining, although the lining is now gone. Lock lift was 7.8 feet.
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Lock #11 from upstream looking at the upper end of the lock. |
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| Lock #11 looking through the lock. As with most other locks, the gates are missing and the interior wall lining is also missing, but this lock has undergone some restoration effort.
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This photograph is of a fruit cellar or storage area which has been built into the earthen bank. A depression which was likely the location of the foundation for the locktender's house is nearby. |
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This is a view of the flume adjacent to lock #11 and was taken from the upper end looking downstream. As previously mentioned, the flume carried water around the canal lock when the upper gates were closed. The existence of the flume at each lock prevented a backup of water in the canal when the upper gates had been closed to allow a boat to be lowered to the level of the canal below the lock.
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Lock #11 from the lower end looking back upstream. Lift for lock #11 was 7.2 feet.
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Lock #12 and lock #13 were rebuilt at some point and were replaced by a single lock which was then known as lock #13. The elimination of the original locks 12 and 13 eliminated the need for an aqueduct across Pohopoco Creek which enters the Lehigh River just below the newer lock 13. The newly constructed lock #13 was the outlet lock for this section (Section #1). Canal boats upon leaving this lock would first enter the flow of water from the creek and then enter the slack water pool behind Dam 2.
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| Lock #13 from the towpath wall at the lower end looking back upstream. Lift for lock #13 was 12.5 feet. The bridge in the background is the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike.
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This photograph shows the concrete spillway that was constructed at a later date to replace the upper gates. |
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| Lock #13 was of composite construction. As can be noted in this photograph of the towpath wall, some of the wood lining remains.
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| Looking through the lock from the footbridge that crosses the lock. The original footbridge would have been located near the lower end of the lock. this being the outlet lock, the mules would cross the lock on a footbridge and then cross Pohopoco Creek on a bridge that spanned the creek. The mules would then travel along the river bank to guardlock #2 where they would enter the second section of the canal. It is not known what purpose the two poles are intended to serve, but they were not there when the lock was operational.
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| Lock #13 from the lower end looking back upstream at the lower lock walls. At the bottom of the berm wall portions of the wooden lower gate can be seen.
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Continued
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