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The Schoharie Creek Aqueduct originally consisted of 14 stone arches for the towing path on the north side, thirteen piers on the south side, and two abutments at the ends. No longer needed after the completion of the Barge Canal, the wooden trunk of the Aqueduct was removed in c.1915/1916. In the summer of 1941, one arch fell into the river, causing the state to remove four additional arches in order to prevent an obstruction of the waters of Schoharie Creek. Additional arches collapsed during a 1977 flood, and again in 1998, threatening the stability of the rest. Six arches and portions of three piers remain standing today.
In December 2022, construction began on a project to stabilize the remaining arches of the Aqueduct. The stabilization project involved extensive repairs to the Aqueduct's foundation and structure. As part of the stabilization efforts, the towpath arches have been firmly secured using twelve piles, each approximately 65 feet deep. These piles were topped with a substantial 65-ton concrete block strategically positioned at the base of pier six, the easternmost of the interconnected piers. This anchoring system ensures the long-term stability of the arches. Furthermore, the restoration team went above and beyond expectations by meticulously repointing over 3,200 linear feet of the Aqueduct's masonry joints. In addition to the structural enhancements, the Aqueduct now benefits from large concrete anti-scour pads installed beneath arches four and six. To bolster anti-scour protection, stones from previous Aqueduct collapses have been strategically placed at key locations around the remaining structures. Moreover, surplus stones from past incidents have been creatively repurposed as park furniture in the Aqueduct Picnic Area. [From a press release of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, June 2nd, 2023.]
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| Remains of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct -- from the Historic American Engineering Record of the Library of Congress, 1969. | Looking southeast up Schoharie Creek at the collapsed end of the aqueduct -- taken in April 2010. Note that the easternmost arches in the picture to the left have collapsed. | The Schoharie Creek Aqueduct remains - looking southwest -- taken Feb. 18, 2019. |
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| Arch 6, looking north, showing signs of deterioration -- from NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. | The collapsed northeastern end of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct -- from: The Times Union (Albany), Jan. 17, 2023. Left: looking southeast ; Right: looking north. | |
Selected pages from the official Construction Documents (Courtesy of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation)
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Construction Documents. Left: page 1 - Cover, map & index. Right: page 3 - Site plan. |
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Construction Documents. Left: page 4 - Elevation (north side). Right: page 7 (partial) - Details of the shoring plan of arch 6 and end pier. |
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| Setting the base for the scaffold for arch 6, looking northwest -- from NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. | Detail of stabilization activities at the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct ; Building the scaffold for Arch 6 -- from: The Times Union (Albany), Jan. 17, 2023. | Stabilization scaffold of Arch 6 of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct -- taken by Howard Ohlhous, Jan. 21, 2023. |
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| Setting the base for the scaffold for arch 5, looking east ; arch 6 is on the left -- taken by Howard Ohlhous, Jan. 21, 2023. | Aerial view of the stabilization activities of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct -- from: The Times Union (Albany), Jan. 17, 2023. | |
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| Stabilization activities at Arch 6 of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct -- taken by Howard Ohlhous, Jan. 28, 2023. | ||
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| Aerial view of the stabilization work on the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct -- Taken by Bill Smith, Feb. 6, 2023. | Schoharie Creek Aqueduct Arch 6 stabilization Left: looking north ; Right: looking southeast -- taken by Howard Ohlhous, Feb. 11, 2023. | |
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| Schoharie Creek Aqueduct Stabilization work - Feb. 24, 2023 -- Courtesy of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. | Schoharie Creek Aqueduct Stabilization work - March 30, 2023 -- Left, looking south; right, looking north -- the second thrust block has been poured, and is curing. In the first photo, it can be seen that it is setting on top of the first thrust block, which was poured a few weeks previously -- Courtesy of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. | ||
| The drill in the photo above is drilling holes for micro pilings which will be capped with concrete pours forming thrust blocks. The purpose of the thrust blocks is to stabilize the remaining piers of the aqueduct so the masonry stays tight, keeping it from further collapse. Normally a bridge or aqueduct has force applied across the span from end to end to hold it together. Since the east end of the aqueduct is missing, putting thrust blocks into the ground at pier six will supply the needed support. |
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| Schoharie Creek Aqueduct Stabilization work - April 15?, 2023 -- completed thrust block, looking north -- Courtesy of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. | Schoharie Creek Aqueduct Stabilization work - April 20?, 2023 -- repointing of the masonry, north side -- Courtesy of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. | ||
Stabilization work was finished on May 2nd, 2023 on schedule. In addition to the obvious work on the arches, 3,200 feet of repointing of the stonework was done.
Below are images of the completed project before the Spring re-watering of the area.
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| Schoharie Creek Aqueduct after stabilization -- Taken
April 25, 2023 by Ted Olsen. Left: Looking south ; Right: Arch 6 and pier. Although arch stabilization has been completed, note that in the photos above and below left, some capstones have yet to be replaced. |
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| East end of the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct after stabilization --
Taken April 25, 2023 by Ted Olsen. |
The Otis Eddy Stone at the eastern end of the Aqueduct, after stabilization was complete, June 2023 -- Courtesy of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Note that the repointing of the joints between the stones is visible. A closeup of the engraving on the stone. | |
http://www.eriecanal.org/SchoharieAqueductStabilization.html
