[ Main ] Educator's Guide
Outreach Initiatives
[ Site Map ]
Geology | Lehigh River Watershed Explorations | Weather | Environmental Issues | Data Collection Activities
 
Triechler's Dam
40 43' 56 N
75 32' 59 W

The Lehigh River makes a winding s-curve at Triechler’s. Up until this point, the Lehigh flows over soft shale. At Rockdale, just upstream of Triechler’s, a bed of hard sandstone lies directly in the river’s path and forces it to meander from its southward path. For a mile, the river flows east until it encounters a major fault at Triechler’s. 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.

Triechler’s 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 Triechler’s allowed boats to enter the river from the canal. The river was calm enough to be navigated in this section.

View in Google Earth

Click on a thumbnail photo to view a full screen image.















 

Headwaters to Lehigh Gorge | Jim Thorpe to Walnutport | Triechler's to Allentown | Bethlehem to Easton

Curricular Activities | Lehigh River Photojournal | Water Quality | GIS | History | River Exploration | Fast Facts
LEO EnviroSci Inquiry is brought to you by the Lehigh Environmental Initiative at Lehigh University.
Copyright ©2000-2011 Lehigh Environmental Initiative at Lehigh University. All rights reserved.