40 43' 56 N
75 32' 59 W
The Lehigh River makes a winding s-curve at Triechlers. Up until
this point, the Lehigh flows over soft shale. At Rockdale, just upstream
of Triechlers, a bed of hard sandstone lies directly in the rivers
path and forces it to meander from its southward path. For a mile, the
river flows east until it encounters a major fault at Triechlers.
At this fault, there is a line of weakness and the river is able to
head west and again pick up its southward path. The sandstone ridges
that surround the river through this stretch provide extraordinary views.
Triechlers Dam was damaged in August 1959 by flooding. The dam
was quickly reconstructed. The new dam measured 500 feet long, 25 feet
high and 15 feet deep. Today, remnants of the original Bear Trap
lock and dam can be seen. The lock at Triechlers allowed boats
to enter the river from the canal. The river was calm enough to be navigated
in this section.
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