Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Report
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Slat CODifiU, 2d SoosiOD Houae Doeumont No. 687 CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL REPORT LETTE R l R Olli ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR 'n.A.HSMITTLNO A JOINT RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY REPORT MADE BY THE BUREAU OF PUULIC ROADS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UPON THE ADV!SA· BILITY AND PRACTICADILITY OF CONSTRUCT ING A PARKWAY ALONC THE ROUTE OF THE CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL BETWEEN GREAT FALLS AND CUMBERLAND, MO., PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 618, 801'11 CONGRESS A11CU8f 16, 1960.-Rofomclto ~he Committee on P ublic Landt aDd ol'lcred 10 be pr!ntA!d, with IUwtr:ltioas ., • 8lst Conreos. 2d Seeelon Hollie Doaunent No. 687 CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL REPOR'r LETTER FftO)t ASSIS'fANT SECRETARY OF 1'llE INTERIOR TRANSlltnJNC A JOINT RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY REPORT MAO~: BY T HE BUREAU Of' PUBLIC ROADS 0~' THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ·rHE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UPON '!'HE ADVISA· BILITY AND PRACTICABILl'rY OF CONSTRU CT· lNG A PAltKWAY ALONG THf; ROUTE OF T H E C HESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL BETWEEN GREAT FALLS AND CUMBERLAND, MO., PURSUANT TO P UBLIC LAW 618, 80TH CONGRESS t .. ,... ~ .. ~ AUCOST 16, 19SO.-Referred to the Committee on Publie lAnda and ordeN<I to be prinl..t, with illustral.ions trNITED STATt:S GOVERNMENT I'R1NTINO OI'YIC to: 71M2 WASlJlNC1'0N' t 11!'.0 ...)<. I • LETTER OF TRANSMITTAl, DEPARTld£NT Oi' TRll lNTilntOR, Oi'PIC>l 011 ~Rill SJ:CRETARY, Woohington £6, D. 0. Augtut 7, 1950. Ron. SAM RAYlHi liN Speaker of 1M Hottse of Repruentatwes, . WMhingto" S6, D. 0. Mv Df:AR Ma. SPEAK£R: In response to Public Law ~18 of the Eishtioth Congress which you approved June 10, 1948, I have the honor to transmit herewith a. joint reconnaissance surv4ry ruport made by the Bureau of Public Roads of the Depa.rtment of Commerce and the National 1>ark Service of this Department upon the advisability and practicability of cons~ructins a. parkwllv along the rouUI of the Chesapeake d: Ohio Canal between Gr•.at l<'alls and Cumberland, Md. 'l'be report wu also to include an estimate of construction oost.s. I believe that the study h8JI brousbt out tbe fact that it is entirely practicable to construct a parkway along lllis canal and that it IS advisable to do so provided that the necessary additional righ~f-wo,y oon be obtainod. A brief review of tho more important findings followo; 1. A satisfactory line, grade, and cross section can be obtained that would bo o.doquato to tho anticipated traffiG. 2. A. parkway with fully controlled nceoss cn.n bo accomplished with less difficulty than any other possible J>rojoct in this part of the co1111try booauso of tho peculiar location ad1acent to the river. 3 . The probable traffic volume and potent•nl public use are sufficient to justify the cost of coustructiou. A traffic volume of from 640 to 2,500 vc1>iciP.S per <lay has been estimated for this parkway. 4. The project would embody exceptional scenery that deserves the tribute of preservation on a national level. 5. Tho cost of conskuction would be much less than would nor •nally be possible through tbis type of terrain because of the structures already built which can be utilized and ~he existing canal .gmding which can bo used. · G. 'l'hc width of right.-of-wa.y is not sufficient for parkway purposes and more would havo to be obtained. The addittonal righk>f-wa.y would not bo of an e..xpcnsive character. Tho pattern laid out on other parkways by the Consress (Foothills, Blue Ridge, and Natchez Trace), shoulc1 be followed and the addit.ional right~f-way should he obtaiued hy t.he State and deeded to the Un ited Staw.~. This would require pnrticipntion and legislation by Maryln.nd. 7. Many advantages would accrue from construction of Lha proposed parkwl<y: . (a) 'l'hG parkway proposal would function as nn approach to tb& National Capital in which capacity it would connect with the m :rv LETTER OF TRANSMI'M'AT, George W oshington Memorial Parkway now well lld vanced in the l>ro- of land acquisition and actual project construclion. It is important and fitting for the national status of the capit.al area to bo so reco2Dited. {b) RecreationiJ developments which have lagged far behind the population increase in this area could be pro,>ided by ~he proposed parkway, ncar the ~ation's Capi~al. (c) Tho Government's investment in canal property which has not been utilized anywhere ncar its possibilities for recreation ¥ would be permitted to develop to the maximum on both tho IOCll i nnd national lavols. · (d) The p1-ojcct would provide o. controlled ucccss road facility f•·<un Washington well into the motmtni ns with tb6 ussurance of mpid uninterrupted traffic in time of neo;d. (e) 'l'ho project would bt\VI} oullltnntling sC011ic ~nrl historic intc•·ests tho.t could be developed on tho t heme of " '!'he historic .gatcwny to the westward." All of t he study, analyses, and plans can be considered in realiLv as a rediscovery of the Potomac Valley wllei'Cin we .have come t.O consider anew each part of t he river and each part of the Potomac Basin. 1 concur wholchei\rtedly in this report as I believe tbat the study has fully disclosed tbat such a parkway would be both practical and lldvisable in addition to being economical to construct. Siocenlly yours, DAti& E. DoTY, A.ai&tant Surttarv of the Jnte..Wr. .. • {~· REPORT 0~ JOINT RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY AND STUDY UY TilE BUREAU OF J>UBLTC ROADS (Formerly the PuhHo lload8 Admlnlatration) and the NATIONAL PARK SERVTCF. ol ~ho lodorl\lly owned CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL Bct..wcen Cn:nt. Fnlls, Md., And Cumberltmct , Mrl. (Authoril.od by ruhllc J.aw 6 18, 80th Cong., ch. 435, 2d !OM., B.pJ'U'OVttd June 10, 1948) • '< • \ I ~ LETTER OF TRANSMIT'rAL IIo11. OscAn Cu.<PM.,\N SecretrmJ ;;_;the Interior. Mv D>:AR Mn. SECRETARY: Wo ~l'allSmi~ hc•·cwit.h our· T6fJOr~ on Lhc joirtt .reconnaissance survey unci Study of the Chcs~pcake & Ohio Canal, between Orcnt l•'olls, .Md., ond Cumberland, :Md ., to determine the advisability and prneticability of construding 11 park way along the route of tho old canal. This survey and report. ws.~ authorized by Public TA<w 618, Eightieth Congrcss chapter 435, second session, approved Juno 10, 1948. As requirM1 by Wlo act, a report on the estimated oost is included. Vcry truly' yours, · NEWl'ON B. Dnunv, Direct~. Nati01111l Park StJTuice. JuN~ 15, 1950. 'l.'ltOS. H. M A~DONAW Oommislli011er, Bureau of Public Roads. JUNE 28, 1950. VII \ ) " " \., 0 CONT E NT S OUTLI NE 0 ~' C. & 0 . CANAl, llEPOtl.T ' I'tU::(' Jnlroductlon....... ................... .. .... ........ .. ........... ------ - .... ....... .. 1-4 ~uthoriuuiou Cor sor-vey and report on C. d:. 0 . C~na.L .... ...... .. .. .... .. 1 &ope of &urvey and swdy... •••• •••••• •• • ••• - ---- ••• 2 Divi:;.ionot"·ork .. .... .... .................... ... ~ ... .... ..... .... .. .. ......... .. 3 General locahon ol project and old canal. .. .. .. .. ...... 4 1. &:i'ti,tgroluuin.cdndlflrO~rly ... ... .. ..................... .. ....... .. 4-15 I. !.and, grading. And ,sc.ructure3..... .. .............. .. 4 2, Sccnic.oharActtlr ........ .. .... .. ... ............ ....... .. .. .. .... .. 8 :1. llb1Lo rical v <JC$. .. .... .... .. ..... .................... · H •• .. I I 4, Hccre.at.ional valuct.. ..... .... .. ...... .... ............. ........... .. 14 $. Ncarneuto pOI)\IIOus orCAS-----· - ··· .... ....... .... ....... .. 15 I I. ttdaplal,,h'ly of tAo et1naljor uac Gl a parkway .. .. .. .. .. • • .. .. ........... 14-19 1. I load k)cation io ~latton LO canal and recreational uses. .. .. I!) 2. Floods ••••• • ••• ········------ ·····---· · ··· 17 3. ToP.Ot!'• PhY··.··· •• ••.•• -- - - - __ • 17 4. Raalroad proxlmlt.y............ .. .... .. .. .... .. 18 5. Munlcip&HtieJ...... ....... • . ............. ............... ........... .. 18 U. Couelul::i iOns. ...... .... .. ...... .... .. .. .... .. ...... ............. .. .... .. 19 II£. Se('rtic, Ju'Alorit, and rureali<utul poasitJiliilt3 nf u,. ronul areal •• .... .. 20-~0 I. C rca~ Fall•-- - •.••••••.•••.•••• .• ------·- ••••. 20 2. Sctlce& ..... .. .. .............. ........ -- -- --------- 21 3. )1uuocac''--- ....... ............ .• .. ........................... 22 4. llupe"' J.•erry... •.•. ---------· ...... : . .. ••••• 22 ~- Wtde\\·atc:r sect.or, Including Bi.;: Pool and 1-..our Locks ..... 24 G. p~,., Paw tunnel . .............. - --- ... .... .. ......... 28 7. Old t.uwn... .... ..... .......... ............... .. .. • .. .. ... ...... .. 28 8. Cumh()rla.nd ... ........ .... ............... .... .. .... ........ .. .... ....... .. 28 U. Conclusion ..... .. .... .. .... .. .... ...... .... .. .. ............. ...... ...... .. .. 30 IV. 1TGjfic, rO(l<lv}(lv d,-..t-ig'!t and contlrt4di<m Ms/A .. ............ .. ...... ....... .. 3Q-39 1. Probablet.rarno.... .. .. ................ .... ............. .. ....... .. ....... .. 30 2. }"ield •Wdy • •••••••• - --·-· • •• • ••••••••••••• 33 3. Relation bet.ween eAnaJ and-park~·ay .... .. .. .. .. • . ........... 33 ···~ 4. Roadway tUinement. and cradc......... .. .............. ................. .. 34 (i. u.., of old struc~ures . • ..•••••.•••.••...••••••.••• ••• 36 6. Access to p~rkw ay and access point.s ............................... .. 38 1. Control or ac<:e$:1 ....... .... .... ........ ..... ........... .. .. ............... ...... .. 38 8. U.e o( cnonl M waterway........... .. ......... .... ...... .. .... ..... .. 38 !), l'ropoled roadaide rcercRtional a rc,M ............... .. ... 39 10. l le\.-ouuaissa.nce e~tl mato ................. ...... .. .. ..... .. ...... .