Dam Release Scheduled to Happen this Spring!
DETAILS:
The Point Pleasant Fire Company will be running the parking concession at the take out again this year, and money collected will go towards The Volunteer Fire Department, as well as maintenance costs for staging this event at River Country. (Located about one half mile downstream of the new bridge, on to Bucks County River Country’s Parking lot area).
PRICING FOR THE EVENT
– Same as the past.
The parking fee for the weekend that includes camping is $20. $20 if you are camping, or not.
The money goes to Our Volunteer Fire Department and to cover event costs, clean-up, Porta-potties, Clean up and organization costs. Some unpleasant comments are sometimes made regarding these nominal admission prices, yet the all of the above listed services just don’t happen spontaneously by themselves, so please don’t try to “shame” us with negative social media comments. Twenty bucks is a cheap date for potentially Friday night through Sunday afternoon. The $20 covers parking (and camping if you desire) for the entire event, beginning on Friday afternoon, through Sunday.
If Arriving Friday March 14th, please pay in the morning when the fire department volunteers collecting payments and giving out tickets to be displayed on your dashboard, so your vehicle can come and go through the parking lot..
The ticket will be required to re-enter the area. Please display the ticket on your dash to re-enter the area. Local paddlers, paddling club representatives, and the leadership of the Point Pleasant Fire Company have met to work through the parking issues of the last release. First and foremost, this communication is the product of those meetings.
Please keep in mind that the parking fee is a fundraiser for the Point Pleasant Fire Company – an organization that serves the region with multiple services including river rescue.
Bucks County River Country, has been providing a landing spot for the boaters when they have completed the ride FOR DECADES. We are literally at the end of the Tohickon Creek where it empties into the Delaware river in Point Pleasant. River Country also provides parking and camping for the boaters.
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CONTACT INFO:
For more information, EMAIL RIVER COUNTRY (info@rivercountry.net ) or contact Nockamixon State Park at 215-529-7300, or Delaware Canal State Park at 610-982-5560. For more information about Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks, call 1-888-PA-PARKS between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday; or visit DCNR’s website.
Saturday and Sunday, March 15th – 16th, when the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) releases water from Lake Nockamixon into Tohickon Creek.
Releases are historically scheduled on a semi-annual basis, usually occurring on the third weekend in March and the first weekend in November. The whitewater releases from the Nockamixon State Park dam provide suitable whitewater boating conditions downstream through Ralph Stover State Park from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day.
Water releases begin at 4:00 AM. Several hours later, the release consisting of millions of gallons of water moving down the waterway will create whitewater conditions at Ralph Stover State Park, according to park officials.
Suggested hours for viewing the release and boating activity are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Ralph Stover.
Water releases are eagerly awaited by whitewater paddling enthusiasts, drawing skilled kayakers, canoeists and
occasional rafters from throughout the Northeastern United States. Most launch their craft at Ralph Stover State Park, near Pipersville, Bucks County, and travel some four miles along the Tohickon Creek to its junction with the Delaware River at Point Pleasant. DCNR officials remind boaters that this is technical whitewater with Class 3 and 4 rapids that require boating skills.
Boaters should be aware of and abide by the safety code of the American Whitewater Affiliation. Boaters must wear appropriate personal flotation devices; take appropriate precautions to prevent hypothermia; and use only craft designed for this type of water.
For more information, contact Nockamixon State Park at 215-529-7300, or Delaware Canal State Park at 610-982-5560.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks, call 1-888-PA-PARKS between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday; or visit DCNR’s website.