Lehigh Canal: Bethlehem to Allentown (17-June-2016)

Back on the canal in Sand Island, Bethlehem. Thought the trip up to Allentown would be quicker this time after just completing this trip a couple days prior. The main goal of the day was to take trash off of the river and the canal was meant to just be a way to make it up river with only one car. 

Almost right away I started finding items I missed on the last trip. In this particular area there were fishermen the last time and I hugged the other bank when traveling through. 

Spotted this hatchling from a distance and immediately I knew it was a non-native Red-Eared Slider. Native Painted Turtles are similar in shape, the carapace is black, this was very green. I paddled over and this little turtle didn't even move. I picked him up and had a kayaking partner for the rest of the trip. Once caught it is unlawful to release Red-Eared Sliders. They do not belong in our waterways and I will find this one a new home.

I enjoyed paddling this particular section. Cleared out all the visible trash on the last trip, it is nice just being able to paddle strait through sometimes and not having to make frequent trash stops. 

One of many American Bullfrogs I went by. When there isn't as much trash to spot, more wildlife can be seen!

More trash than I had hoped by the portage point, not too bad though. I used the trash can at this point to get rid of the basketball which was full of water and impossible to drain out. I did not have a good way to secure it so disposing of it here was the best option.

Someone had moved things around since I cleaned up around this can, the fishing rod I put in there was gone, but everything else hadn't been picked up. Cleaned up a few items around the can, left the basketball and got back on the canal. 

Plucked this from the bottom of the canal. To me this is just ridiculous waste. Who needs a plastic chicken container that fits in their car's cup holder? We waste so much! 

A Juvenile Snapping Turtle. It was just hanging out in the water and didn't even try swimming away when I paddled up to it. Even a Snapping Turtle this size can draw blood, if you do not know how to handle a turtle like this I would suggest not picking them up at all. A fishing license is required in PA to catch any reptiles or amphibians even if you do release them immediately. Follow the laws and help support our law enforcement by buying a fishing license. 

This section had a little more trash than the lower. Still not bad and not too many trains were moving in the yard next to the canal. The trains can be noisy with screeching breaks on some days. 

The canal in the section where I found this Northern Water Snake basking on overhanging branches is narrow and there is a current. While taking this photo the current pushed me into the branches and the snake did not move at all. It must have really liked that basking spot, at the closest point I was only a couple feet away. 

When reaching for the bottle I noticed this Common Musk Turtle underneath it. Picked up both in the same grab. The bottle went into the boat and the Musk Turtle went right back to where it was in the canal. 

The basket sank since the last visit. I didn't want to, but felt I had to remove it. After finding a dead chicken when moving the blue cloth last time, I just figured that's what it was full of. I was surprised when I lifted it out of the water and fruit, vegetables and eggs came out. The chicken was gone. How does a nice basket like this with all of the food inside end up in the canal? 

This roll up sled was caught in a strainer near the take out. 

Not as much as the last trip, still more than I had hoped to find. I threw the non-recyclables away, packed up the recyclables and headed down to the river to paddle back to Bethlehem. 
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Lehigh Canal (15-June-2016)

The total trip included not only the canal, but the trip back on the river. Since there are so many photos I decided to break it up into two posts. This post is just the trip up the canal from Sand Island in Bethlehem to Canal Park in Allentown. I started off the trip with a lot of energy and was very optimistic that there wouldn't be much trash on the canal due to my awesome clean-ups last year! If you are laughing you know how things actually work out. 

As soon as I pushed off onto the water I was picking up trash. On the left a glass bottle, on the right a balloon that looked like it had been in there for awhile.

All I could think at the start was, what a nice day to be out paddling. 

While reaching in for some trash I noticed this Common Musk Turtle and decided to say hello. It was not pleased with this decision and really wanted to bite me. Really can't blame it, just imagine if some giant creature picked you up. How would you react? I haven't come across too many Musk Turtles this year and it was nice to find one on this trip. After a few photos I placed it back in the canal and got to watch it awkwardly swim away like Musk Turtles do. 

Didn't I just clean this exact spot last year with Greco? Oh yeah, I did. New stuff and old stuff that must have been hidden last year. Even glass soda bottles with the metal caps. 

Also found in the strainer above were this volleyball (left) and little blue token (right) with a dogs back end on it.

About a third of the way to Allentown there is a lock that I have to portage around. During the portage I found this overflowing trash can. I cleaned up around it, took some recyclables and left behind a heavy, thick, plastic seat/cooler top and a fishing rod. Both items did not fit well on the kayak and I was happy to get rid of them right away. I think the trash can looked much better after I left.

Back on the canal I cleaned up around the top of the lock and found some keepers. On the left was a blow horn. Anyone know what kind of figurine it is on the right? Had a microphone in its hand.

More and more bottles. 

I specifically remember cleaning up this same section of canal bank last year. The nice thing was that this year it wasn't nearly as bad. This was one of a few places that I could see a clear difference as a result of what I did last year. Still a lot of trash though. 

This angered me. I found four similar bags, all had the same type of water bottles in them and three of the four had paperwork in them. Two of them I opened and took a look at the paperwork. It seems that employees of Norfolk Southern like to bag up their trash and throw it into our canal. One of the two bags that I opened also had rotting organic items in it that really smelled like vomit. That got on the side of my boat. I am not too pleased with Norfolk Southern and had there been a PFBC officer at Canal Park I would have handed these over instead of throwing them out. I doubt the PFBC would do much about it though, at least locally they don't seem to be too good at going after people who illegally dump into out waterways.

Apparently none of this paperwork really mattered. It is sad that I am to the point I don't believe anyone would fine Norfolk Southern for this. It is clearly trash from the company and their employees.

When I went to pick up one of the bags I noticed these two Painted Turtles slide into the water. Like the Musk Turtle they did not seem pleased that I said hello. Hopefully they learned from this experience and will do more in the future not to get caught by a predator. I placed them back by there basking area one immediately disappeared into the leaf litter and other debris in the water, the other stayed near the surface. I have hope for one of them surviving at least.  

My first whole RC vehicle ever! 

Then there was this... A basket, the inside cover of which is folded over on top of its contents and floating in the water. On top of the cloth cover are flies and because who knows what someone would put in a basket and float down the canal I had to see what the contents were. I was happy and confused. Multiple whole, decapitated, unfeathered chickens. I did not remove the basket or the contents. 

By this point exiting the canal I was tired. For at least the last quarter of the paddle up the bag in the front was hanging off enough in the water to create drag and slow me down a lot. That meant more paddling. I was also happy to be done with this part because the entire inside of my kayak was full of bottles and cans to the point my legs were resting on them in the front. It was extremely uncomfortable and I was happy I was able to move things around before setting out on the river and back to my car. 

After I cleared out the kayak the bag that doesn't have much in it in this photo was completely full. The other bag was non-recyclables. 

After dropping off the non-recyclables in the can by the parking area I took my boat and recyclables down to the river. The trip down river will be posted sometime soon. 
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Lehigh Canal and River: Part I (23-Apr-2016)

Drove down river to Walnutport today. After walking the canal path this past week and seeing the canal was filled with trash, I thought it would be a good place to work on. I parked near the river and carried my kayak up to the canal. The idea was to work my way up the canal then cross over to the river and float back down. 

Not long after I put the boat on the water I started picking up trash. In some areas had to stick to the right side of the canal to give fishermen some space.

These were on the canal path side. I wonder how many people passed these items, saw them and just kept on walking. 

Finding this Common Musk Turtle was odd. Well, where it was, was the odd part. It was just hanging out under a plastic grocery bag I picked up. Another name for the Common Musk Turtle is a Stinkpot. Care to guess why they are called that? I bet you guessed right. When disturbed a Musk Turtle will musk, producing a foul smelling odor. Snapping Turtles will do the same thing and in my experience Snappers are worse. You will not often see Musk Turtles basking, they do, but in more secretive spots. The one I am holding in the photo is an adult and they are a smaller sized turtle. I would suggest if you ever find one in the wild to not pick it up. There is a reason other than the smell.  Musk Turtles like to bite and if you give them a chance to get a finger they will. 

There were many floating plastic items on the canal. Mostly grocery bags. Some of these items blend in well with algae and I am sure there was a lot I missed. It is always disappointing to come across so much trash.

Was someone playing badminton on the canal. I don't think this was the first shuttlecock I have found, but it was the fanciest.

If you are wondering that is a metal bat sticking out of the drink carrier. I never would have thought metal bats would be a common item to find on the water, but this one makes four or five that I have found paddling. The drink carrier I have decided to keep. It fits nicely on the front of my kayak and can be easily secured with the bungees on the front of the boat. 

At the lock I had to unload everything on the deck of the boat and then carry it all up. Above this point the canal is not navigable. There is still trash, but getting to it would be a muddy mess. I wasn't feeling up for that on this trip. 

Where I accessed the river there was a large line of debris and trash. I picked through it after taking my boat down to the rivers edge. When I was searching around I found these angry eyes peering out from under the Skunk Cabbage. 

Honestly I didn't know how I was going to fit all of this and myself into the boat. I somehow made it work, but there wasn't much room for me.

It wasn't that bad paddling this way. Downriver was pretty enjoyable. I couldn't possibly take on anymore trash, so there wasn't constant stopping and I got to drift and take in the sun.

Once back to my car I got everything unloaded. There is a dumpster in the parking lot and that's where I disposed of the non-recyclables. I didn't take them out of the bag for the photo because that takes time and I wanted to get out for a second clean-up. Packed all the recyclables into the car, locked it up and headed back to the river. 
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this blog? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA