Delphos Canal Case Study

Moving on, the outside of the canal’s appearance is another problem that has a simple solution. First, volunteers gathered from the Delphos Canal Commission will clear fallen branches and brush along the canal. Next, a “10-foot wide trough”(#7) that is about “six inches deep”(#7) will be dug along the banks of the canal and then filled with compacted stone with a drainage system built under the path to accommodate for ground seepage. Finally, the canal’s appearance overhaul will be finished by planting oak and maple trees evenly along the newly constructed path. In addition, the Delphos trail would be an extension of the Miami Erie Canal Towpath Trail, even further being incorporated into the massive Buckeye Trail.
Another improvement the canal is lacking is strong, formidable banks impervious to being washed out or damaged. Similar to Minster and other small towns, Delphos should build a stone wall along the banks on the

North side of the canal. Besides from protecting the canal’s banks the barrier will provide the water route with a neat aesthetic.
Transitioning to the most ambitious part of the project is rebuilding lock 24 located near Stadium Park and resurrecting a memorial around the site. For obvious reason, rebuilding a canal lock is not a small feet, but has been accomplished in other town like New Breman and St. Marys.
Starting off, the most interesting part of the canal rebuild is that “the canal is [required to be] drained”(#5) allowing Sanitation Evacuation to dredge or removing sediment in the canal and open up “the eroded canal banks [to be] built back up to canal standards”(#5) during this phase. As the canal is drained concrete and clay will be poured into the damaged parts of Lock 24’s walls; furthermore, the canal spillway next to Lock 24 will be dug out and refinished to tie together the early 1900’s look of the canal. The spillway will then “empty into a 50’x60’ basin”(#5) in front of the lock; however, this will also be simple since a basin already exists in Stadium Park.
After the concrete has been poured and the brick cleaned and replaced the project can move forward toward rebuilding the wooden lock gate.

The wooden locks need to be made out “white oak”(#4) similar to the original design; moreover, two wooden gates should be resurrected on each end of lock 24. Next, a supplier is needed to build the wooden gates, and I recommend hiring the “Hoge Lumber Co. of New Knoxville”(#5) since they did an excellent job of recreating the original wooden gates of Lock 1 in New Breman. With Lock 24 completely restored, the only thing missing is a miniature park that incorporates the lock within.
For the canal memorial the city of Delphos can set the northeast portion of Stadium Park aside for improvements. The road along the canal in Stadium Park can be repaved to remove any potholes. In addition, the newly paved will lead to a small parking area that already exist to the west of lock 24. Eventually, the parking space will have some landscaping done around it in order to incorporate the parking lot into the overall

design.
As the visitors leave their cars they will be greeted with a brick path leading toward the memorial. The brick path will herd the guest to a set of stairs built into the side of the canal leading to the memorial. At the top visitors will be greeted “1864 Morrison cast-iron “bowstring” footbridge”(#6) that will take them across the lock to small, but extravagant space between the lock and the spillway. Here the ground will be leveled between the two structures and paved with brick similar to the New Breman Lock 1 park. Inscribed on into the bricks will be the names of volunteers and donators. Along the lock will be a set of cast iron poles with canal boat grade rope tied around the poles to serve as a railing, in addition, the poles will hold historical significance by having design similar to pilings used during the 1900’s
Along the perimeter of the memorial and water basin, a combination of trees native to Ohio like maples, hickories, oaks, and walnut will be planted in designated planters to incorporate nature into the memorial. Furthermore, the planting of flower beds and other forms of landscaping will increase the aesthetic beauty of the memorial and Stadium Park. Incidentally, the rebuilt lock would also function as a trailhead for the Miami Erie Towpath Trail, since Lock 24 is located on the northern point of the trail.
Nonetheless, their needs to be steps taken to preserve the canal and the lock. The best way in preserving the canal is to inform the public about the waterway. For this reason, information panels containing both historical and environmental factors on the canal should be placed around the memorial to encourage the public to take personal responsibility for our city landmark. Not, only will the memorial contain interesting facts, rather these information signs can be placed all along the Delphos section of the canal giving vital information about the canal to every resident in Delphos.
To change the topic onto something Delphos taxpayers would be concerned on this project-- how much will restore the canal cost. Admittedly, the restoration won’t be cheap and it is estimated that “the entire restoration project, including grants, [will] surpassed $1 million”(#6) based on other small towns that have accomplished similar projects. However, the project I am proposing is slightly less ambitious like the New Breman project and will most likely cost less than the million dollar price tag.
Furthermore, many of the small projects like the water clean up and the creation of paths can accumulate funds by working with the “Clean Ohio Trail Fund and the Heritage Trails Park District”(#7). More importantly, the City of Delphos can ask the State of Ohio for grant money to complete the memorial; similar to the “$280,000 in grant dollars”(#5) New Breman received from the “Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)”(#6) to complete their own lock.
In spite of the grants and other foundations, the vast majority of the budget would need to be paid by with donations and fundraisers. But, Delphos has an advantage in terms of raising money for the canal, our city has Canal Days. During the annual festival special raffles, events, and fundraising booths will be held throughout the celebration. Also, fliers containing information on how to volunteer for the project will be passed out to passersby. Besides raising money during Canal Days, local business could also invest money into the project since a restored canal lock will provide the town with some tourism. Overall, the task of collecting money will last either a couple of years to just a few months.
In the end, a restored canal will benefit the lives of every person that lives in Delphos. Residents living beside and near the canal will have access to a beatiful body of water that embodies nature, local businesses might see an increase of tourist wanting to shop at their stores, and the young who will develop a sense of pride for both our town and canal.
This project is important to me and other concerned citizens that want to see our small town prosper. Over the last couple of decades the City of Delphos has fallen far away from it’s glory days of the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s; Main Street has begun to crumble and the current state of the canal is further worsening. For these reasons, the restoration of the canal is more important than ever. My hope is that rebuilding the canal will inspire similar projects in Delphos that will turn our small town into a place we can all be proud to live in.