Day 351 June 6, 2023

Day 351 Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Mid-Atlantic Christian University Elizabeth City NC MM 51 to Dismal Swamp Welcome Center MM 28

We had a sunny, calm start to our day.  The water levels on the Dismal Swamp are controlled by a lock on each end.  Passage through the locks is limited to specific times; we wanted to make the 11:00am opening so were off the dock at 8am.  Loopers on Tina B had forged on ahead of us yesterday to make it to the lock, not stopping in Elizabeth City. 

We heard the highway bridge open at 6am so knew that there was a boat hoping to make the 8:30am opening at South Mills Lock.  We were hoping that there wouldn't be many boats already in the Swamp ahead of us.  We planned on staying at the dock at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center.  Dock space is free and first come, first served.  Boats often have to raft together.

We passed the 3 foot Railroad swing bridge (open), 15 miles to the lock.  It looks like it hasn't been operational for a while.  

It got very narrow.  We got to the South Mills Lock early at 10:38, so with the lock tender's permission we tied to the pilings outside the lock.  We were the only boat. 

 

Tammy, the lockmaster was very helpful.  She was very pleasant, and shared where we needed to watch (even more) for debris in the canal.  She was right -- we had to dodge an entire tree in the center of the channel.  We saw several limbs and obstacles tied to the shore or covered with yellow caution tape!

 

  Hard to see debris!

  

 The water is very shallow!

Three boats had passed through the lock at 8:30am so we expected to see them when we got to the Welcome Center but there was only one other boat there (Etcetera) when we arrived at 12:15.  We registered at the Welcome Center and got a free sticker -- "I was here in 2023 - Dismal Swamp 2023". 

  Tied at the Welcome Center.

Just across the pedestrian bridge that crosses the canal we toured Dismal Swamp State Park and Visitor Center.  

 View from the bridge to the Park.

We learned a lot about the origin of the Canal and saw an incredible display of taxidermy.  We didn't hike the trails but Ian from Etcetera told us that they had seen 5 bear and 1 cougar on their hike.  I am just as happy that we didn't hike!

 

 

Dismal Swamp Facts: (taken from a publication by US Army Corps of Engineers)

• The Dismal Swamp is controlled by the South Mills and Deep Creek Locks.  There is a drawbridge at each lock.  The Lock Master is also the Bridge Tender.
• The canal is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.
• The Dismal Canal was first proposed in 1728 by Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia.    He referred to the area as "dismal".  The Canal authorization occurred in 1787, with actual construction starting in 1793.
• The Canal was dug completely by hand, primarily by slaves.  It later became a haven for run-away slaves and is included in the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program.
• George Washington and others owned land in the swamp where they harvested lumber for shingles and ship building.  Washington Ditch is a separate cut from the swamp to the canal, used to transport the lumber.
• The Canal was finally completed after 12 years in 1805. Travel required flat boats and log rafts that were hand poled because it was so shallow.
• Today's Dismal Swamp is only 1/3 it's original size due to ditching and draining for agriculture and timber use.  The Dismal Swamp State Park is over 14,000 acres while The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is 111,000 acres.